Invercargill weather by month & the best time to visit
New Zealand · seaside town · oceanic / maritime climate
The best time to visit Invercargill is February — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 54/100), with January and March close behind. Invercargill averages about 1,949 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 17°C / 63°F and roughly 97 mm of rain in February.
When is the best time to visit Invercargill?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Invercargill is February, then January and March. The dullest month is July (6/100, 97 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Invercargill?
Invercargill gets a moderate 1,949 hours of sunshine a year. 48 Sunshine Score points separate February (54) from July (6), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #26 of 26 destinations in New Zealand for annual sunshine, below the national median of 2,342 hours. The year's 1,256 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 | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52 | 17° / 63°F | 12° / 54°F | 116 mm | 8 | 16° / 61°F |
| February | 54 | 17° / 63°F | 12° / 54°F | 97 mm | 7 | 16° / 61°F |
| March | 48 | 16° / 61°F | 11° / 52°F | 102 mm | 5 | 14° / 57°F |
| April | 36 | 14° / 57°F | 10° / 50°F | 102 mm | 2 | 13° / 55°F |
| May | 23 | 12° / 54°F | 8° / 46°F | 116 mm | 1 | 11° / 52°F |
| June | 12 | 10° / 50°F | 7° / 45°F | 101 mm | 1 | 10° / 50°F |
| July | 6 | 9° / 48°F | 6° / 43°F | 97 mm | 1 | 9° / 48°F |
| August | 12 | 10° / 50°F | 6° / 43°F | 88 mm | 1 | 9° / 48°F |
| September | 24 | 12° / 54°F | 7° / 45°F | 103 mm | 2 | 10° / 50°F |
| October | 29 | 13° / 55°F | 8° / 46°F | 116 mm | 4 | 12° / 54°F |
| November | 35 | 14° / 57°F | 9° / 48°F | 113 mm | 6 | 13° / 55°F |
| December | 47 | 16° / 61°F | 11° / 52°F | 105 mm | 7 | 16° / 61°F |
Sea temperature in Invercargill by month
The sea off Invercargill is warmest in January at around 16°C / 61°F, and coolest in July at 9°C / 48°F. It never reaches comfortable swimming temperatures (21°C+). Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
How Invercargill compares month by month: Invercargill vs Christchurch · Invercargill vs Dunedin · Invercargill vs Blenheim · all comparisons
Invercargill: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Invercargill?
Invercargill is a seaside town in New Zealand with a oceanic / maritime climate — the sea reaches 16°C at its warmest.
How many hours of sunshine does Invercargill get a year?
Invercargill gets about 1,949 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around February.
When is the best time to visit Invercargill?
The sunniest time to visit Invercargill is February, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 54/100 (with January and March close behind). Expect daytime highs around 17°C / 63°F.
What is the least sunny month in Invercargill?
July is the least sunny month in Invercargill, scoring 6/100 with about 97 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Invercargill?
The sea in Invercargill ranges from about 9°C (July) to 16°C (January). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Invercargill?
The typical midday UV index in Invercargill peaks around 8 (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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