Wellington has a climate that engages all of your senses. There is even a book of poetry devoted to the subject, called ‘Big Weather’. Nobel Prize-winning Australian author Patrick White affectionately described Wellington as ‘like Norway with a touch of Greece’.

Seasons

Wellington enjoys around 2,000 sunshine hours a year. By comparison London averages 1,500, Edinburgh 1,350 and Vancouver 1,850.

Wellington's winters are mild by Northern European or North American standards, with cool clear days mixed with occasional chilly southerly storms.

The reward for enduring a southerly is the spectacular weather that follows. The sky is a radiant blue, the air is still, and the streets are washed clean.

Measured in Celsius, the capital's average daily maximum temperatures are in the 20s in summer and in the low teens in winter.

Windy Wellington

The capital is known as 'windy Wellington' particularly when the equinox winds blow in spring and early summer. The wind comes from the natural funnelling effect of Cook Strait, the stretch of ocean water that separates the North and South Islands.

It is fair to say that there are few times in the year when the weather prevents you from being outdoors. The climate is a temperate one, even in mid-winter.

There are micro-climates within and around the region. The Hutt Valley tends to be cooler in winter, warmer in summer, and more sheltered. Kapiti Coast tends to be warmer, and has less wind and rain. The Wairarapa is hotter again, and drier.

Related Links

• MetService website
• Seasons - Immigration New Zealand website