Whakatāne weather by month & the best time to visit
New Zealand · seaside town · oceanic / maritime climate
The best time to visit Whakatāne is November — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 83/100), with January and February close behind. Whakatāne averages about 2,513 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 20°C / 68°F and roughly 58 mm of rain in November.
When is the best time to visit Whakatāne?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Whakatāne is November, then January and February. The dullest month is July (30/100, 124 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Whakatāne?
Whakatāne gets a lot of sun: around 2,513 hours a year. 53 Sunshine Score points separate November (83) from July (30), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #2 of 26 destinations in New Zealand for annual sunshine, above the national median of 2,342 hours. The year's 1,082 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 | 24° / 75°F | 16° / 61°F | 71 mm | 10 | 22° / 72°F |
| February | 81 | 25° / 77°F | 17° / 63°F | 70 mm | 9 | 22° / 72°F |
| March | 79 | 23° / 73°F | 15° / 59°F | 82 mm | 7 | 21° / 70°F |
| April | 75 | 20° / 68°F | 13° / 55°F | 100 mm | 4 | 19° / 66°F |
| May | 56 | 17° / 63°F | 11° / 52°F | 101 mm | 2 | 17° / 63°F |
| June | 36 | 14° / 57°F | 9° / 48°F | 117 mm | 1 | 15° / 59°F |
| July | 30 | 13° / 55°F | 8° / 46°F | 124 mm | 2 | 14° / 57°F |
| August | 37 | 14° / 57°F | 8° / 46°F | 104 mm | 2 | 14° / 57°F |
| September | 52 | 16° / 61°F | 9° / 48°F | 84 mm | 4 | 15° / 59°F |
| October | 65 | 18° / 64°F | 11° / 52°F | 83 mm | 6 | 16° / 61°F |
| November | 83 | 20° / 68°F | 12° / 54°F | 58 mm | 8 | 17° / 63°F |
| December | 78 | 22° / 72°F | 15° / 59°F | 88 mm | 9 | 19° / 66°F |
Sea temperature in Whakatāne by month
The sea off Whakatāne is warmest in January at around 22°C / 72°F, and coolest in July at 14°C / 57°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly 3 months a year. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
Whakatāne: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Whakatāne?
Whakatāne is a seaside town in New Zealand with a oceanic / maritime climate — the sea reaches 22°C at its warmest and is swimmable (21°C+) about 3 months a year.
How many hours of sunshine does Whakatāne get a year?
Whakatāne gets about 2,513 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around November.
When is the best time to visit Whakatāne?
The sunniest time to visit Whakatāne is November, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 83/100 (with January and February close behind). Expect daytime highs around 20°C / 68°F.
What is the least sunny month in Whakatāne?
July is the least sunny month in Whakatāne, scoring 30/100 with about 124 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Whakatāne?
The sea in Whakatāne ranges from about 14°C (July) to 22°C (January). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Whakatāne?
The typical midday UV index in Whakatāne 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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