Hamilton climate
Hamilton (New Zealand) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 15 °C59 °F, and about 1,120 mm44 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Hamilton climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2374 | 1559 | 1966 | 662.6 |
| Feb | 2474 | 1660 | 2067 | 742.9 |
| Mar | 2272 | 1458 | 1865 | 793.1 |
| Apr | 1967 | 1254 | 1661 | 983.9 |
| May | 1762 | 1151 | 1456 | 1194.7 |
| Jun | 1457 | 948 | 1153 | 1174.6 |
| Jul | 1356 | 745 | 1050 | 1164.6 |
| Aug | 1457 | 846 | 1152 | 1064.2 |
| Sep | 1560 | 948 | 1254 | 933.7 |
| Oct | 1762 | 1050 | 1456 | 893.5 |
| Nov | 1966 | 1253 | 1560 | 652.6 |
| Dec | 2170 | 1457 | 1864 | 973.8 |
| Year | 2474 | 745 | 1559 | 1,12044 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76% | 63% | 6.5 | 14:30 |
| Feb | 77% | 64% | 5.5 | 13:33 |
| Mar | 78% | 60% | 4.6 | 12:26 |
| Apr | 80% | 59% | 3.3 | 11:10 |
| May | 84% | 57% | 2.3 | 10:07 |
| Jun | 86% | 57% | 1.9 | 9:34 |
| Jul | 86% | 58% | 2.1 | 9:47 |
| Aug | 85% | 61% | 2.8 | 10:41 |
| Sep | 83% | 66% | 3.7 | 11:55 |
| Oct | 81% | 68% | 4.8 | 13:09 |
| Nov | 78% | 69% | 5.8 | 14:14 |
| Dec | 78% | 70% | 6.1 | 14:46 |
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 Hamilton is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 24 °C74 °F and a low of 16 °C60 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 13 °C56 °F and lows 7 °C45 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 9.4 °C16.8 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,120 mm44 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is May (119 mm4.7 in), the driest is November (65 mm2.6 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 76% in January to 86% in July. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 57%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 13 km/h (8 mph) in February to 16 km/h (10 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 9.6 hours in June to 14.8 hours in December.
Best time to visit Hamilton
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–March: average highs of 19 °C66 °F to 24 °C74 °F with 65 mm2.6 in to 97 mm3.8 in of precipitation per month.
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 Hamilton
- Summer (December–February) — highs 2170 to 24 °C74 °F, lows 1457 to 16 °C60 °F, about 79 mm3.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 1762 to 22 °C72 °F, lows 1151 to 14 °C58 °F, about 99 mm3.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 1356 to 14 °C57 °F, lows 745 to 9 °C48 °F, about 113 mm4.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 1560 to 19 °C66 °F, lows 948 to 12 °C53 °F, about 82 mm3.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Hamilton compares
Compared with Auckland, about 114 km to the northwest, Hamilton is on average 0.9 °C1.6 °F cooler and receives 10% more precipitation (1,120 mm44 in vs 1,015 mm40 in). The difference is largest in June (1.3 °C2.3 °F cooler).
Of the 7 places in New Zealand covered by World Climates, Hamilton is the 3rd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 2nd 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): Donostia / San Sebastián (Spain, Cfb), A Coruña (Spain, Csb) and Gijón (Spain, Csb).
Nearby places
- Tauranga 78 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,149 mm45 in
- Auckland 114 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,015 mm40 in
- Lower Hutt 383 km · 14 °C57 °F · 910 mm36 in
- Wellington 392 km · 13 °C56 °F · 856 mm34 in
- Christchurch 677 km · 12 °C54 °F · 845 mm33 in
- Dunedin 982 km · 11 °C52 °F · 687 mm27 in
- Norfolk Island (Kingston) 1,184 km · 20 °C68 °F · 808 mm32 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Hamilton?
February is the warmest month in Hamilton, with an average high of 24 °C (74 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (60 °F).
What is the coldest month in Hamilton?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 13 °C (56 °F) and an average low of 7 °C (45 °F).
When does it rain the most in Hamilton?
May is the wettest month with about 119 mm (4.7 in) of precipitation; November is the driest with about 65 mm (2.6 in).
What is the best time to visit Hamilton?
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 108 m, while Hamilton lies at about 39 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.5 °C0.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.