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Best time to visit Christchurch

New Zealand · 43.53°S 172.64°E · 30-year monthly averages, judged against the Warm preset (highs 19–28 °C66–82 °F, dry or showers)

The best time to visit Christchurch is November to March, with highs of 19–22 °C66–72 °F and nights of 8–12 °C46–54 °F, and rainfall of 48–64 mm1.9–2.5 in a month.

Most rain falls in the winter half of the year (July averages 96 mm3.8 in). The dry season is November to February and September, with 48 mm1.9 in in February. January is the hottest month (highs of 22 °C72 °F) and July the coldest (11 °C52 °F).

The figures are 30-year monthly averages (WorldClim 2.1 monthly normals 1970–2000) for the 0.25° grid cell at -43.53, 172.64. This is a climate guide, not a forecast.

Christchurch weather by month

Pick the weather you like. Every month is then judged against it: temperature above the month names, rain below.

Weather you like

highs 19–28 °C66–82 °F, dry or showers

Good time to go for a Warm holiday: November to March.

Open Christchurch on the interactive map ↗ the same verdicts for any place on Earth, in any month

▲ Highs average daily high , coldest to warmest month
22°72°JAN562.222°71°FEB481.920°68°MAR642.518°64°APR722.814°57°MAY722.812°53°JUN883.511°52°JUL963.812°54°AUG963.814°57°SEP562.217°62°OCT642.519°65°NOV481.921°69°DEC562.2
▼ Rainfall per month, driest to wettest

Reading the chart. Gold means good: the month fits what you picked. Any other colour shows the reason it does not. The temperature bar can be too cold or too hot; the rain bar can be too dry, too rainy or monsoon. A faded gold bar means that half fits but the other half does not. A gold month name means both halves fit.

What the verdicts mean. Temperature is the month's average daily high (the afternoon), judged against the preset's band (highs 19–28 °C66–82 °F for Warm). Rain is judged by each month's class within Christchurch's own year, not by raw millimetres: dry under 60 mm2.4 in, showers 60–100 mm2.4–3.9 in, rainy from 100 mm3.9 in and at least 35 % of the wettest month. Too rainy is a rainy-season month that the preset does not allow. Monsoon is the heaviest kind of rainy season: 180 mm7.1 in or more (120 mm4.7 in near the yearly peak) in a climate where the wettest month has at least three times the rain of the driest. Every monsoon month is also a rainy-season month; the label says which kind. Full rules on the method page.

MonthRain High Low SeasonWarm verdict
January562.222721253drygood
February481.922711152drygood
March642.520681050showersgood
April722.81864745showerstoo cold
May722.81457540showerstoo cold
June883.51253236showerstoo cold
July963.81152236showerstoo cold
August963.81254337showerstoo cold
September562.21457540drytoo cold
October642.51762744showerstoo cold
November481.91965846drygood
December562.221691050drygood

When to go to Christchurch, by holiday type

Looking forRuleMonths that fit
Warmhighs 19–28 °C66–82 °F, dry or showersNovember to March
Tropicalhighs 28–38 °C82–100 °F, any rain except monsoonno month
Beachhighs 28–38 °C82–100 °F, dry or showersno month
Coolhighs 3–19 °C37–66 °F, any rain except monsoonApril to October
Snowhighs below 3 °C37 °F, any rainno month

Is there a rainy season in Christchurch?

Not really. Most rain falls in the winter half of the year (July averages 96 mm3.8 in). The dry season is November to February and September, with 48 mm1.9 in in February.

January is the hottest month (highs of 22 °C72 °F) and July the coldest (11 °C52 °F). Annual rainfall is about 816 mm32 in.

Where to go instead when Christchurch does not fit

The nearest destinations that fit the Warm preset in the months when Christchurch does not:

Nearby destinations

distances in . Tap a unit to switch.

The interactive map colours the whole world by how well it fits the weather you like, in any month, and shows this chart for any place you tap.