Christchurch weather by month & the best time to visit
New Zealand · city break · oceanic / maritime climate
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The best time to visit Christchurch is February — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 82/100), with March and January close behind. Christchurch averages about 2,377 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 23°C / 73°F and roughly 58 mm of rain in February.
When is the best time to visit Christchurch?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Christchurch is February, then March and January. The dullest month is July (13/100, 73 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Christchurch?
Christchurch gets a moderate 2,377 hours of sunshine a year. 69 Sunshine Score points separate February (82) from July (13), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #11 of 26 destinations in New Zealand for annual sunshine, above the national median of 2,342 hours. The year's 845 mm of rain spreads fairly evenly across the months, with no pronounced dry season.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 80 | 24° / 75°F | 12° / 54°F | 67 mm | 9 |
| February | 82 | 23° / 73°F | 11° / 52°F | 58 mm | 8 |
| March | 82 | 21° / 70°F | 10° / 50°F | 61 mm | 6 |
| April | 59 | 17° / 63°F | 7° / 45°F | 77 mm | 3 |
| May | 39 | 14° / 57°F | 5° / 41°F | 79 mm | 1 |
| June | 20 | 11° / 52°F | 3° / 37°F | 80 mm | 1 |
| July | 13 | 10° / 50°F | 2° / 36°F | 73 mm | 1 |
| August | 27 | 12° / 54°F | 3° / 37°F | 70 mm | 2 |
| September | 41 | 14° / 57°F | 4° / 39°F | 57 mm | 3 |
| October | 52 | 16° / 61°F | 6° / 43°F | 78 mm | 5 |
| November | 74 | 19° / 66°F | 8° / 46°F | 68 mm | 7 |
| December | 79 | 22° / 72°F | 10° / 50°F | 77 mm | 8 |
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
How Christchurch compares month by month: Christchurch vs Wellington · Christchurch vs Dunedin · Christchurch vs Invercargill · Christchurch vs Blenheim · all comparisons
Christchurch: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Christchurch?
Christchurch is a city break in New Zealand with a oceanic / maritime climate.
How many hours of sunshine does Christchurch get a year?
Christchurch gets about 2,377 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around February.
When is the best time to visit Christchurch?
The sunniest time to visit Christchurch is February, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 82/100 (with March and January close behind). Expect daytime highs around 23°C / 73°F.
What is the least sunny month in Christchurch?
July is the least sunny month in Christchurch, scoring 13/100 with about 73 mm of rain.
How strong is the sun in Christchurch?
The typical midday UV index in Christchurch peaks around 9 (very high) in January, easing to about 1 (low) in May. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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