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New Zealand Climate is... complex.. When it's broken down you can get a general picture but there are variables all over the place. And for you folks heading over to New Zealand from the Northern Hemisphere then, our Summer time is their winter time and their summer time is our winter. Got it? So yes.. they have Christmas on the beach.. and yes they dress polar style in summer... our summer that is.. Enough Phil! Stop being confusing! From warm subtropical in the North Island limits to a cool temperate feel down in the south and full on alpine conditions in the mountain regions. That's New Zealand climate my friends. Don't forget that climate is simply New Zealand Weather history projecting a bigger picture. Climate is Weather. Average annual temperatures range from about 11°C in the South Island to 17°C in the North Island. Sunshine - and lets face it sunshine is what we like! - hours are pretty high in regions that are sheltered from the west. And this is what you have to watch out for folks... A weakened ozone layer that increases the intensity of the Sun. The midday summer solar radiation index (Ultra Violet Index, UVI) is often very high and can be extreme in New Zealand's North Island. This includes the mountains and don't forget that Autumn and Spring are affected too. New Zealand climate is no joke. Take precautions and you will be fine. Never ignore the Sun. If you can't feel it then it's doing something! Slap on the screen my friends. Read the label and slap it on! The warmest months are January and February. So take note. OK, taking the temperature down a bit you'll find the coldest month is usually July. In general the New Zealand climate shows small variations between summer and winter temperatures. This makes for weather in New Zealand being pretty clear cut. Inland and to the east of the ranges though can tell a different story. The temperature variation is greater (up to 14°C) and there's also a drop of about 0.7°C for every 100 metres of altitude. Not attitude folks, as I so memorably wrote in my geography exam... Altitude. Those feisty west coast prevailing winds come up against the barrier that is the central mountain chain extending New Zealands length. This mountainous division gives rise to some dramatically different climate regions. The West Coast of the South Island being the wettest area of the country and to the east of the mountains is the driest. That's just over a hundred kilometres away. So some pretty broad changes in tight areas. You have between 600mm and 1600mm of rainfall spread throughout the year. Sumer of course (remember it's the northern hemisphere's winter!) has a dry spell. Now this is interesting so pay attention... Over the northern and central areas of New Zealand more rainfall falls in the winter than in summer, whereas for much of the southern part of New Zealand, winter is the season of least rainfall. As you would expect, most snow in New Zealand falls in the mountains. Forget snow on the coastal areas of the North Island and the South Island's west coast though the east and south of the South Island can get some in winter. Where would New Zealand Climate be without jack frost putting in an appearance? Ans as with many temperate climes frost can be found on those still chilly nights and mornings.
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