The most comfortable time to visit Christchurch is from January to early March. For walking, go from late August to early June. Sunbathing weather is not what it offers.
When to go five ratings · thirty-six ten-day sections · click a cell to read it
Sun is not what Christchurch is for: the Sunbathing rating tops out at 16, mostly because it is too cool. The clearest skies come in May, when the sky is typically 33% covered at midday (mostly clear).
The being outside season here runs from January to early March. It peaks in mid February, at 69. The weakest stretch is from late May to mid August, when it drops to 1, mostly because it is too cold.
For walking, go from late August to early June. It peaks in early May, at 83. Avoid July to early August for this: it falls to 42, mostly because it is too cold.
The year, measured
The average temperature in Christchurch over the whole year is 12°C. February is the hottest month, with highs of about 20°C; July is the coldest, with lows of about 4°C. Christchurch has no sharply defined rainy season: the chance of rain on a given day runs from 10% in January, the driest month, to 15% in June, the wettest. Winds in Christchurch are highest in January, averaging 5.1 m/s (18 km/h), and lightest in May, at 3.6 m/s (13 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the NE. The clearest skies in Christchurch come in August, when the sky is typically 38% covered; December is the cloudiest month, at 49%.
Month by month Christchurch climate by month: average temperatures year round · click a month to read it
| Month | High | Low | Feels like | Chance of rain | Cloud | Wind | Being outside | Sun | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20°C | 14°C | 16°C | 10% | 48% | 5.1 m/s | 59 | 9 | 73 |
| February | 20°C | 13°C | 17°C | 10% | 44% | 4.9 m/s | 61 | 10 | 73 |
| March | 18°C | 12°C | 15°C | 10% | 47% | 4.6 m/s | 51 | 4 | 77 |
| April | 16°C | 9°C | 12°C | 10% | 42% | 4.0 m/s | 33 | 0 | 80 |
| May | 13°C | 7°C | 10°C | 11% | 40% | 3.6 m/s | 16 | 0 | 73 |
| June | 10°C | 6°C | 7°C | 15% | 48% | 3.7 m/s | 3 | 0 | 51 |
| July | 10°C | 4°C | 6°C | 15% | 42% | 3.7 m/s | 1 | 0 | 45 |
| August | 11°C | 5°C | 7°C | 10% | 38% | 3.8 m/s | 4 | 0 | 53 |
| September | 13°C | 7°C | 8°C | 10% | 39% | 4.5 m/s | 14 | 0 | 61 |
| October | 15°C | 8°C | 10°C | 12% | 42% | 4.6 m/s | 24 | 0 | 69 |
| November | 17°C | 11°C | 13°C | 10% | 46% | 4.8 m/s | 36 | 2 | 77 |
| December | 19°C | 14°C | 15°C | 12% | 49% | 5.1 m/s | 48 | 5 | 76 |
High and low are the warmest and coolest of four readings a day — midnight, 6am, noon and 6pm — so a true overnight low can sit a degree or two under them. Chance of rain, cloud and wind are the day’s average; feels-like and the three ratings (each out of 100: Good from 55, Ideal from 80) are read at midday.
Seasons, and the year in short Christchurch weather by season
Year round, Christchurch has days of about 10°C at their warmest in July, its coolest month, and 20°C in February, its warmest; the coolest hours of the day run from 4°C to 14°C through the year, and the average temperature over the year is 12°C around the clock. Rain is most likely around June and least likely around January. Every figure here is a decade of observations blended into one representative year, so it reads as what this date is usually like, not a forecast for one particular day.
Christchurch weather in winterJune to August
Winter in Christchurch has typical daily highs of about 10°C and lows of about 5°C, with a 13% chance of rain on a given day.
Christchurch weather in springSeptember to November
Spring in Christchurch has typical daily highs of about 15°C and lows of about 9°C, with a 11% chance of rain on a given day.
Christchurch weather in summerDecember to February
Summer in Christchurch has typical daily highs of about 20°C and lows of about 14°C, with a 10% chance of rain on a given day.
Christchurch weather in autumnMarch to May
Autumn in Christchurch has typical daily highs of about 16°C and lows of about 9°C, with a 10% chance of rain on a given day.
When is the rainy season in Christchurch?
Christchurch has no sharply defined rainy season: the chance of rain on a given day runs from 10% in January, the driest month, to 15% in June, the wettest.
What time of year is Christchurch windiest?
Winds in Christchurch are highest in January, averaging 5.1 m/s (18 km/h), and lightest in May, at 3.6 m/s (13 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the NE.
What is the average temperature in Christchurch year round?
The average temperature in Christchurch over the whole year is 12°C. February is the hottest month, with highs of about 20°C; July is the coldest, with lows of about 4°C.
Where to go instead in early July, the weakest time here for being outside
How this is worked out
Every figure is a decade of weather-station observations blended into one typical year, in ten-day sections. The ratings, the chart and the feels-like column are read at midday local solar time. Being outside is the Easy outdoors rating, Sun is Sunbathing and Walking is Active outdoors, each out of 100: Good from 55, Ideal from 80. They describe what a time of year is usually like here, not a forecast. The dotted links open the map at that time of year; set its time of day to midday to see these numbers.