Auckland Temperatures | Auckland Sunshine Hours | Auckland Rainy Days | Climate of Auckland
Auckland’s location
Auckland enjoys warm, rather dry summers and mild, wet winters.
The climate is comfortable all year round except in the summer months when a combination of heat and humidity can lead to some rather sticky days and nights.
Frosts in winter are very rare.
Similar Latitude Cities
Auckland sits on a latitude of 36.5 degrees South. Cities on similar latitudes in the Northern hemisphere include Malaga, Spain and Monterey, California. Auckland is cooler in summer than these northern hemisphere cities because of the moderating effects of the surrounding Pacific Ocean.
Climate Data for Auckland
Month | Av. Daily Maximum Temp. (OC) | Av. Daily Minimum Temp. (OC) | Av. hours Sunshine (per day) | Av. No. Days with at least 0.25 mm Rainfall | Average Afternoon Humidity |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan. | 24 | 15 | 7.4 | 10 | 70 |
Feb. | 24 | 16 | 7.0 | 10 | 72 |
Mar. | 23 | 15 | 5.8 | 11 | 75 |
Apr. | 20 | 12 | 5.4 | 14 | 78 |
May | 18 | 10 | 4.6 | 19 | 80 |
Jun. | 16 | 8 | 3.7 | 19 | 84 |
Jul. | 15 | 7 | 4.5 | 21 | 84 |
Aug. | 15 | 8 | 4.7 | 19 | 80 |
Sep. | 17 | 9 | 5.0 | 17 | 75 |
Oct. | 18 | 10 | 5.8 | 16 | 73 |
Nov. | 20 | 12 | 6.2 | 15 | 71 |
Dec. | 22 | 14 | 7.3 | 12 | 70 |
Rough and ready climate comparison
Auckland enjoys greater year round warmth than NZ’s other largest cities – Christchurch and Wellington. Christchurch is cooler than Auckland and enjoys fewer rainy days. Wellington is also cooler than Auckland and, although wetter than Christchurch, has more dry days than Auckland. The driest areas in the country are in the east – Blenheim and Napier, for example.
The Sun
The main weather hazard faced by Aucklanders is the strength of the sun – particularly in summer.
- In high summer, the sunshine in New Zealand is really strong. You’ll burn more easily in New Zealand than anywhere in the Mediterranean.
- There are three reasons why the sun in the Southern Hemisphere is so strong.
- There is less ozone to block the UV rays that cause sunburn.
- Earth’s orbit takes it closer to the sun during the southern summer than during the northern summer.
- There is less pollution in the southern hemisphere to block the UV rays.
- The sun’s burning strength is measured by the UV index. The highest possible UV index at sea-level is about 20. This can occur at midday in equatorial regions. Any reading higher than 10 is extreme in terms of skin-damage.
- The UV Index in the Mediterranean in high-summer reaches 9 or 10.
- The people in Florida are fried on a just a few days each summer when the index reaches 12.
- In New Zealand the summer index often exceeds 12.
Return to the New Zealand Climate Guide.
Auckland City (i think) gets about 3-4 days of frost. But this of course varies geographically, west Auckland experiences colder winter with about 1/2 of overnight winter temperatures below 3 Degrees, accounting for more frosty periods.