The most comfortable time to visit Rotorua is from November to early May. For walking, any time of year works. 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 Rotorua is for: the Sunbathing rating tops out at 22, mostly because it is too cool. The clearest skies come in May, when the sky is typically 55% covered at midday (partly cloudy).
The being outside season here runs from November to early May. It peaks in mid January, at 88. The weakest stretch is from late June to mid August, when it drops to 6, mostly because it is too cold.
For walking, Rotorua rates Good or better all year. It is at its best in early November, at 87.
The year, measured
The average temperature in Rotorua over the whole year is 14°C. February is the hottest month, with highs of about 22°C; August is the coldest, with lows of about 7°C. Rotorua has no sharply defined rainy season: the chance of rain on a given day runs from 11% in January, the driest month, to 22% in July, the wettest. Winds in Rotorua are highest in January, averaging 4.1 m/s (15 km/h), and lightest in March, at 3.5 m/s (13 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the NW. The clearest skies in Rotorua come in March, when the sky is typically 54% covered; October is the cloudiest month, at 65%.
Month by month Rotorua 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 | 22°C | 16°C | 20°C | 11% | 59% | 4.1 m/s | 85 | 17 | 67 |
| February | 22°C | 16°C | 21°C | 14% | 55% | 3.7 m/s | 86 | 17 | 64 |
| March | 21°C | 13°C | 19°C | 11% | 54% | 3.5 m/s | 82 | 5 | 79 |
| April | 19°C | 12°C | 16°C | 14% | 55% | 3.6 m/s | 69 | 1 | 83 |
| May | 16°C | 10°C | 13°C | 17% | 54% | 3.6 m/s | 40 | 1 | 79 |
| June | 14°C | 9°C | 11°C | 20% | 60% | 3.6 m/s | 15 | 0 | 73 |
| July | 13°C | 7°C | 9°C | 22% | 60% | 3.8 m/s | 7 | 0 | 67 |
| August | 13°C | 7°C | 10°C | 17% | 58% | 3.5 m/s | 8 | 0 | 70 |
| September | 15°C | 9°C | 11°C | 19% | 64% | 4.1 m/s | 19 | 0 | 76 |
| October | 16°C | 10°C | 13°C | 16% | 65% | 4.1 m/s | 38 | 0 | 83 |
| November | 19°C | 13°C | 16°C | 15% | 63% | 4.0 m/s | 66 | 1 | 84 |
| December | 21°C | 16°C | 19°C | 15% | 57% | 4.0 m/s | 81 | 8 | 73 |
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 Rotorua weather by season
Year round, Rotorua has days of about 13°C at their warmest in July, its coolest month, and 22°C in February, its warmest; the coolest hours of the day run from 7°C to 16°C through the year, and the average temperature over the year is 14°C around the clock. Rain is most likely around July 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.
Rotorua weather in winterJune to August
Winter in Rotorua has typical daily highs of about 13°C and lows of about 8°C, with a 20% chance of rain on a given day.
Rotorua weather in springSeptember to November
Spring in Rotorua has typical daily highs of about 17°C and lows of about 11°C, with a 17% chance of rain on a given day.
Rotorua weather in summerDecember to February
Summer in Rotorua has typical daily highs of about 22°C and lows of about 16°C, with a 13% chance of rain on a given day.
Rotorua weather in autumnMarch to May
Autumn in Rotorua has typical daily highs of about 18°C and lows of about 12°C, with a 14% chance of rain on a given day.
When is the rainy season in Rotorua?
Rotorua has no sharply defined rainy season: the chance of rain on a given day runs from 11% in January, the driest month, to 22% in July, the wettest.
What time of year is Rotorua windiest?
Winds in Rotorua are highest in January, averaging 4.1 m/s (15 km/h), and lightest in March, at 3.5 m/s (13 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the NW.
What is the average temperature in Rotorua year round?
The average temperature in Rotorua over the whole year is 14°C. February is the hottest month, with highs of about 22°C; August is the coldest, with lows of about 7°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.