Christchurch climate
Christchurch (New Zealand) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 12 °C54 °F, and about 845 mm33 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Christchurch climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2475 | 1253 | 1864 | 662.6 | 0 |
| Feb | 2474 | 1253 | 1864 | 592.3 | 0 |
| Mar | 2170 | 1050 | 1660 | 612.4 | 0 |
| Apr | 1763 | 745 | 1254 | 773.0 | 0 |
| May | 1457 | 541 | 1049 | 793.1 | 0 |
| Jun | 1151 | 338 | 745 | 803.2 | 3 |
| Jul | 1050 | 236 | 643 | 722.9 | 5 |
| Aug | 1253 | 338 | 745 | 702.8 | 2 |
| Sep | 1458 | 440 | 949 | 572.3 | 1 |
| Oct | 1662 | 643 | 1152 | 783.1 | 0 |
| Nov | 1967 | 846 | 1457 | 682.7 | 0 |
| Dec | 2272 | 1051 | 1661 | 773.0 | 0 |
| Year | 2475 | 236 | 1254 | 84533 | 11 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66% | 69% | 6.3 | 15:04 |
| Feb | 68% | 64% | 5.6 | 13:53 |
| Mar | 73% | 65% | 4.3 | 12:31 |
| Apr | 79% | 66% | 2.9 | 10:57 |
| May | 85% | 65% | 1.9 | 9:39 |
| Jun | 88% | 65% | 1.4 | 8:58 |
| Jul | 88% | 63% | 1.7 | 9:15 |
| Aug | 87% | 66% | 2.5 | 10:22 |
| Sep | 82% | 66% | 3.7 | 11:52 |
| Oct | 78% | 67% | 5.0 | 13:23 |
| Nov | 73% | 68% | 6.1 | 14:44 |
| Dec | 70% | 71% | 6.3 | 15:25 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Christchurch is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 24 °C75 °F and a low of 12 °C53 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 10 °C50 °F and lows 2 °C36 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 11.7 °C21 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 845 mm33 in. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is June (80 mm3.2 in), the driest is September (57 mm2.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 66% in January to 88% in July. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 63%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (5 mph) in July to 12 km/h (7 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 9.0 hours in June to 15.4 hours in December.
Best time to visit Christchurch
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–March: average highs of 19 °C67 °F to 24 °C75 °F with 59 mm2.3 in to 77 mm3.0 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is cold, with average highs of 10 °C50 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Christchurch
- Summer (December–February) — highs 2272 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 1051 to 12 °C53 °F, about 67 mm2.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 1457 to 21 °C70 °F, lows 541 to 10 °C50 °F, about 72 mm2.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 1050 to 12 °C53 °F, lows 236 to 3 °C38 °F, about 74 mm2.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 1458 to 19 °C67 °F, lows 440 to 8 °C46 °F, about 68 mm2.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Christchurch compares
Of the 7 places in New Zealand covered by World Climates, Christchurch is the 6th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 6th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the New Zealand climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Le Havre (France, Cfb), Brest (France, Cfb) and Caen (France, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Wellington 305 km · 13 °C56 °F · 856 mm34 in
- Dunedin 310 km · 11 °C52 °F · 687 mm27 in
- Lower Hutt 319 km · 14 °C57 °F · 910 mm36 in
- Hamilton 677 km · 15 °C59 °F · 1,120 mm44 in
- Tauranga 715 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,149 mm45 in
- Auckland 765 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,015 mm40 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Christchurch?
January is the warmest month in Christchurch, with an average high of 24 °C (75 °F) and an average low of 12 °C (53 °F).
What is the coldest month in Christchurch?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 10 °C (50 °F) and an average low of 2 °C (36 °F).
When does it rain the most in Christchurch?
June is the wettest month with about 80 mm (3.2 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 57 mm (2.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Christchurch?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are November–March.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 76 m, while Christchurch lies at about 14 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.4 °C0.7 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.