Wellington climate
Wellington (New Zealand) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 13 °C56 °F, and about 856 mm34 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Wellington climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1967 | 1558 | 1762 | 512.0 |
| Feb | 1967 | 1559 | 1763 | 582.3 |
| Mar | 1865 | 1457 | 1661 | 582.3 |
| Apr | 1661 | 1254 | 1458 | 702.7 |
| May | 1458 | 1152 | 1355 | 803.1 |
| Jun | 1254 | 1049 | 1152 | 923.6 |
| Jul | 1153 | 948 | 1050 | 863.4 |
| Aug | 1253 | 948 | 1051 | 823.2 |
| Sep | 1355 | 949 | 1152 | 702.7 |
| Oct | 1457 | 1050 | 1254 | 773.0 |
| Nov | 1660 | 1253 | 1456 | 642.5 |
| Dec | 1864 | 1356 | 1660 | 692.7 |
| Year | 1967 | 948 | 1356 | 85634 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79% | 60% | 6.7 | 14:50 |
| Feb | 79% | 55% | 5.9 | 13:45 |
| Mar | 81% | 56% | 4.6 | 12:29 |
| Apr | 83% | 58% | 3.1 | 11:02 |
| May | 84% | 59% | 2.1 | 9:51 |
| Jun | 84% | 61% | 1.6 | 9:13 |
| Jul | 84% | 62% | 1.8 | 9:28 |
| Aug | 85% | 61% | 2.6 | 10:30 |
| Sep | 83% | 59% | 3.8 | 11:53 |
| Oct | 83% | 61% | 5.2 | 13:17 |
| Nov | 81% | 60% | 6.4 | 14:32 |
| Dec | 81% | 63% | 6.7 | 15:08 |
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 Wellington is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 19 °C67 °F and a low of 15 °C59 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 11 °C53 °F and lows 9 °C48 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 7.1 °C12.9 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 856 mm34 in. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is June (92 mm3.6 in), the driest is January (51 mm2.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 79% in February to 85% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 55%) are typical of February. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 18 km/h (11 mph) in April to 21 km/h (13 mph) in September. Daylight lasts from about 9.2 hours in June to 15.1 hours in December.
Best time to visit Wellington
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are January–March: average highs of 18 °C65 °F to 19 °C67 °F with 51 mm2.0 in to 58 mm2.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is cold, with average highs of 11 °C53 °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 Wellington
- Summer (December–February) — highs 1864 to 19 °C67 °F, lows 1356 to 15 °C59 °F, about 59 mm2.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 1458 to 18 °C65 °F, lows 1152 to 14 °C57 °F, about 69 mm2.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 1153 to 12 °C54 °F, lows 948 to 10 °C49 °F, about 87 mm3.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 1355 to 16 °C60 °F, lows 949 to 12 °C53 °F, about 70 mm2.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Wellington compares
Compared with Christchurch, about 305 km to the southwest, Wellington is on average 1.4 °C2.6 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in June (4 °C7.2 °F warmer).
Of the 7 places in New Zealand covered by World Climates, Wellington is the 5th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 5th 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): Hobart (Australia, Cfb), Isles of Scilly (Hugh Town) (United Kingdom, Cfb) and Guernsey (St Peter Port) (United Kingdom, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Lower Hutt 14 km · 14 °C57 °F · 910 mm36 in
- Christchurch 305 km · 12 °C54 °F · 845 mm33 in
- Hamilton 392 km · 15 °C59 °F · 1,120 mm44 in
- Tauranga 418 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,149 mm45 in
- Auckland 493 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,015 mm40 in
- Dunedin 615 km · 11 °C52 °F · 687 mm27 in
- Norfolk Island (Kingston) 1,493 km · 20 °C68 °F · 808 mm32 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Wellington?
February is the warmest month in Wellington, with an average high of 19 °C (67 °F) and an average low of 15 °C (59 °F).
What is the coldest month in Wellington?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 11 °C (53 °F) and an average low of 9 °C (48 °F).
When does it rain the most in Wellington?
June is the wettest month with about 92 mm (3.6 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 51 mm (2.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Wellington?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are January–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.