Tauranga weather by month & the best time to visit
New Zealand · seaside town · oceanic / maritime climate
The best time to visit Tauranga is January — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 81/100), with February and March close behind. Tauranga averages about 2,513 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 22°C / 72°F and roughly 70 mm of rain in January.
When is the best time to visit Tauranga?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Tauranga is January, then February and March. The dullest month is July (35/100, 124 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Tauranga?
Tauranga gets a lot of sun: around 2,513 hours a year. 46 Sunshine Score points separate January (81) from July (35), so the month you pick matters. Tauranga is the sunniest of the 26 destinations tracked in New Zealand. The year's 1,149 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 | 81 | 22° / 72°F | 17° / 63°F | 70 mm | 10 | 21° / 70°F |
| February | 79 | 23° / 73°F | 18° / 64°F | 79 mm | 9 | 21° / 70°F |
| March | 78 | 21° / 70°F | 17° / 63°F | 84 mm | 7 | 20° / 68°F |
| April | 68 | 19° / 66°F | 15° / 59°F | 107 mm | 4 | 19° / 66°F |
| May | 55 | 17° / 63°F | 13° / 55°F | 110 mm | 2 | 17° / 63°F |
| June | 41 | 15° / 59°F | 11° / 52°F | 123 mm | 1 | 16° / 61°F |
| July | 35 | 14° / 57°F | 10° / 50°F | 124 mm | 2 | 15° / 59°F |
| August | 37 | 14° / 57°F | 11° / 52°F | 112 mm | 2 | 14° / 57°F |
| September | 45 | 15° / 59°F | 11° / 52°F | 94 mm | 4 | 15° / 59°F |
| October | 59 | 17° / 63°F | 12° / 54°F | 84 mm | 6 | 16° / 61°F |
| November | 76 | 19° / 66°F | 14° / 57°F | 60 mm | 8 | 17° / 63°F |
| December | 75 | 21° / 70°F | 16° / 61°F | 102 mm | 9 | 19° / 66°F |
Sea temperature in Tauranga by month
The sea off Tauranga is warmest in January at around 21°C / 70°F, and coolest in August at 14°C / 57°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly 2 months a year. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
How Tauranga compares month by month: Tauranga vs Auckland · Tauranga vs New Plymouth · Tauranga vs Napier · all comparisons
Tauranga: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Tauranga?
Tauranga 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 2 months a year.
How many hours of sunshine does Tauranga get a year?
Tauranga gets about 2,513 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around January.
When is the best time to visit Tauranga?
The sunniest time to visit Tauranga is January, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 81/100 (with February and March close behind). Expect daytime highs around 22°C / 72°F.
What is the least sunny month in Tauranga?
July is the least sunny month in Tauranga, scoring 35/100 with about 124 mm of rain.
Is Tauranga the sunniest place in New Zealand?
Yes — with about 2,513 hours of sunshine a year, Tauranga has the most annual sunshine of the 26 New Zealand destinations tracked by Sunshine Atlas.
What is the sea temperature in Tauranga?
The sea in Tauranga ranges from about 14°C (August) to 21°C (January). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Tauranga?
The typical midday UV index in Tauranga peaks around 10 (very high) 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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