our West Coast Weather
West Coast Visitor and Travel Information, New Zealand.
In all honesty the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island is one of the wettest regions in the country with an average rainfall in the region of 2500mm (98inches) annually.
However the West Coast climate is officially described as being Maritime Temperate. This means that the Tasman Sea has a big influence on the weather, and while the Coasts reputation for rainfall is legendary, there are many days of clear blue, sunny skies.
 |
It is this combination of sun, rain and mild temperatures that give us the lush grassland and moss feestooned rainforest that surrounds us.
Indeed without the climate we wouldn't have that myriad of green that is our West Coast forest and bush land.
On Average we experience
- Sunshine
- 1690 hours per annum
- Rainfall
- 2459mm per annum
- Temperatures
- Summer: December - February 12° - 24° (Celsius)
- Autumn: March - May 9° - 17° (Celsius)
- Winter: June - August 5° - 15° (Celsius)
- Spring: September - November 7° - 17° (Celsius)
It rained all day..
Yes, it does rain on the Coast but not as often as is commonly thought and stated. Again the averages show the myths to be nothing more than myths. With an average of 165 wet days per year out of 365.
.. with nothing to do.
The issue for most visitors is not so much our climate, but the fact that, our real West Coast attractions are away from the towns. So if you are reliant on others for transport, you could find yourself at a loss and feel the time / day has been wasted.
The answer is both obvious and simple;
Plan for things you can do. Then if you encounter a period of rain you will not feel the day has been wasted.
Our heaviest rains most often fall in the Spring (mid September to late December) and mid to late Autumn (May to June). If your visit is timed to coincide with these months expect to encounter some rain. Outside of this the chances are realitively average of encountering some rain.
read more about our West Coast Seasons. »
read more about planning your visit to the West Coast. »
