New Plymouth weather by month & the best time to visit
New Zealand · seaside town · oceanic / maritime climate
The best time to visit New Plymouth is January — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 80/100), with February and March close behind. New Plymouth averages about 2,321 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 21°C / 70°F and roughly 69 mm of rain in January.
When is the best time to visit New Plymouth?
For sunshine, the best time to visit New Plymouth is January, then February and March. The dullest month is July (29/100, 121 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is New Plymouth?
New Plymouth gets a moderate 2,321 hours of sunshine a year. 51 Sunshine Score points separate January (80) from July (29), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #14 of 26 destinations in New Zealand for annual sunshine, below the national median of 2,342 hours. The year's 1,230 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 | 80 | 21° / 70°F | 15° / 59°F | 69 mm | 11 | 21° / 70°F |
| February | 78 | 22° / 72°F | 15° / 59°F | 80 mm | 9 | 20° / 68°F |
| March | 77 | 21° / 70°F | 14° / 57°F | 82 mm | 7 | 19° / 66°F |
| April | 61 | 18° / 64°F | 12° / 54°F | 103 mm | 4 | 18° / 64°F |
| May | 47 | 16° / 61°F | 11° / 52°F | 123 mm | 2 | 17° / 63°F |
| June | 34 | 14° / 57°F | 9° / 48°F | 128 mm | 1 | 15° / 59°F |
| July | 29 | 13° / 55°F | 8° / 46°F | 121 mm | 1 | 14° / 57°F |
| August | 29 | 13° / 55°F | 8° / 46°F | 118 mm | 2 | 13° / 55°F |
| September | 42 | 15° / 59°F | 9° / 48°F | 107 mm | 4 | 14° / 57°F |
| October | 49 | 16° / 61°F | 10° / 50°F | 105 mm | 6 | 15° / 59°F |
| November | 64 | 18° / 64°F | 11° / 52°F | 85 mm | 8 | 17° / 63°F |
| December | 72 | 20° / 68°F | 14° / 57°F | 109 mm | 10 | 18° / 64°F |
Sea temperature in New Plymouth by month
The sea off New Plymouth is warmest in January at around 21°C / 70°F, and coolest in August at 13°C / 55°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly 1 month a year. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
How New Plymouth compares month by month: New Plymouth vs Auckland · New Plymouth vs Wellington · New Plymouth vs Tauranga · New Plymouth vs Palmerston North · all comparisons
New Plymouth: questions and answers
What kind of destination is New Plymouth?
New Plymouth is a seaside town in New Zealand with a oceanic / maritime climate — the sea reaches 21°C at its warmest and is swimmable (21°C+) about 1 months a year.
How many hours of sunshine does New Plymouth get a year?
New Plymouth gets about 2,321 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around January.
When is the best time to visit New Plymouth?
The sunniest time to visit New Plymouth is January, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 80/100 (with February and March close behind). Expect daytime highs around 21°C / 70°F.
What is the least sunny month in New Plymouth?
July is the least sunny month in New Plymouth, scoring 29/100 with about 121 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in New Plymouth?
The sea in New Plymouth ranges from about 13°C (August) to 21°C (January). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in New Plymouth?
The typical midday UV index in New Plymouth peaks around 11 (extreme) in January, easing to about 1 (low) in June. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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