Wellington weather

Wellington climate information

Data obtained from Wellington weather station

Average daily max (°C)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
20.8 21.1 19.6 17.2 15.1 13.2 12.2 13.1 14.6 15.4 17.7 19.6 16.6
Average relative humidity (%)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
74 74 74 76 77 76 78 77 74 75 72 74 75
Average rainfall (mm)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
61 71 68 63 99 84 109 115 69 103 43 71 956
Average daily sunshine (hrs)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
8 7 7 5 4 3 3 4 6 6 7 8 6
Average wind speed (mph)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
16.6 14.5 15.0 14.0 14.4 15.1 14.2 14.0 15.7 16.8 16.6 16.1 15.2

Legend states that the area around Wellington was explored in the 10th century but there is only evidence supporting that the Maori lived there in around 1280.

Today the main industries in the area include art and culture, film and information & communication technology. Tourism plays a large part too as travellers flock to the city to enjoy its many cultural attractions, award-winning restaurants and picturesque scenery.

Wellington International Airport can be found around six kilometres to the South East of Wellington. Local flights from other areas of New Zealand land here, as well as from Australia and the Pacific Islands. It is necessary for international flights to transfer at a different airport as, due to the short runway at Wellington, larger planes are unable to land.

Wellington is home to New Zealand's largest Dragon Boat Festival every March, with nearly 100 teams taking to the water to race in front of an audience of thousands. There is also the New Zealand Festival which runs for 24 days in February and March and showcases many arts events celebrating some of the world's top international artists. For younger people there is the Artsplash Festival in the autumn; a week of music, dance and visual arts by and for students.

Popular sports include football, rugby, netball, basketball and cricket which are all widely supported in Wellington. The main sporting venue in the city is the Wellington Regional Stadium, home to the Wellington Lions ITM Cup Rugby team as well as the Super Rugby Hurricanes, and known to locals as 'the Cake Tin' due to its distinctive shape. Big-name musicians including Ozzy Osbourne, Kiss, AC/DC and Bon Jovi have all played the Cake Tin.

There are many attractions to find in the city, including the Wellington Zoo where you can spend a great day out with the kids getting up close and personal to some of the animals, the Wellington Botanic Gardens where you can go for a leisurely stroll, then sit back and watch the world go by; or see the city from a different view and go up in one of the cable cars.