March is close to Palmerston's year-round average, with average highs near 30.4°C and lows around 24.9°C (mean 27.7°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 282 mm of rainfall and 85% relative humidity across the period.
March is close to Palmerston's year-round average. Across 45 years of records, the warmest March in Palmerston was 2016 — when the month averaged 29.3°C — while the coldest were 1981 and 1994 at 26.7°C. Typical March days reach 30.4°C with nights near 24.9°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
March is a relatively wet time of year in Palmerston, averaging 282 mm of rainfall. The wettest March on record was 2007 with 772 mm, while the driest was 1987 at 119 mm.
Relative humidity in Palmerston during March averages 85%. The most humid March was 2006 at 90%, and the least humid was 2009 at 80%.
March receives about 5.6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Palmerston. The sunniest Marchs were 1987 and 2002 at 6.7 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2007 at 4.3.
Average wind speed in Palmerston during March is 2 m/s. The windiest Marchs were 1983, 1988 and 2011 at 2.6 m/s, while the calmest were 1992 and 2022 at 1.4 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 27.3°C | 27.6°C | 27.5°C | 28.0°C | 28.2°C | +0.9°C |
| Avg High | 29.9°C | 30.5°C | 30.2°C | 30.7°C | 30.9°C | +1°C |
| Avg Low | 24.6°C | 24.6°C | 24.8°C | 25.2°C | 25.6°C | +1°C |
| Avg Rain | 313 mm | 278 mm | 339 mm | 242 mm | 218 mm | -94 mm |
March temperatures in Palmerston have risen by about 1.1°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
March has ranged from a record low of 18.4°C (2014) to a record high of 33.8°C (2019).
Rainfall in March is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 282 mm, with a wettest year of 772 mm.
A quieter season to visit Palmerston
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of June and July tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Palmerston. That said, March — with days averaging 30.4°C and nights around 24.9°C (mean 27.7°C) and higher rainfall (282 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 31.1°C | 28.6°C | 26.2°C | 33.2°C | 25.4°C | 345 mm | 86% | 1.7 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2024 | 30.5°C | 28.3°C | 26.2°C | 32.7°C | 25.0°C | 331 mm | 89% | 2.3 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2023 | 30.8°C | 27.8°C | 24.8°C | 32.6°C | 21.3°C | 123 mm | 83% | 2.4 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2022 | 31.2°C | 28.5°C | 25.8°C | 32.9°C | 24.6°C | 178 mm | 84% | 1.4 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2021 | 30.1°C | 27.6°C | 25.2°C | 31.4°C | 23.9°C | 191 mm | 87% | 1.8 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2020 | 31.7°C | 28.6°C | 25.5°C | 33.6°C | 24.1°C | 140 mm | 82% | 1.9 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2019 | 31.4°C | 28.6°C | 25.8°C | 33.8°C | 24.5°C | 154 mm | 84% | 2 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2018 | 30.7°C | 28.0°C | 25.3°C | 32.8°C | 23.7°C | 214 mm | 86% | 2.1 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2017 | 30.3°C | 27.9°C | 25.5°C | 32.6°C | 24.1°C | 255 mm | 88% | 2.1 m/s | 5 |
| 2016 🔥 | 32.0°C | 29.3°C | 26.7°C | 33.7°C | 25.0°C | 197 mm | 83% | 1.6 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2015 | 30.8°C | 28.0°C | 25.2°C | 33.5°C | 22.5°C | 169 mm | 86% | 2.2 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2014 | 31.2°C | 27.7°C | 24.3°C | 32.7°C | 18.4°C | 129 mm | 82% | 1.7 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2013 | 30.5°C | 28.0°C | 25.6°C | 33.7°C | 23.3°C | 361 mm | 86% | 2.2 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2012 | 29.7°C | 27.2°C | 24.6°C | 32.0°C | 19.9°C | 456 mm | 87% | 2.3 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2011 | 29.0°C | 26.8°C | 24.7°C | 31.3°C | 22.5°C | 330 mm | 89% | 2.6 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2010 | 31.2°C | 28.0°C | 24.7°C | 33.7°C | 21.7°C | 150 mm | 82% | 1.8 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2009 | 31.1°C | 27.4°C | 23.6°C | 33.1°C | 19.4°C | 153 mm | 80% | 1.7 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2008 | 30.0°C | 27.3°C | 24.5°C | 31.8°C | 21.8°C | 317 mm | 86% | 1.7 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2007 🌧️ | 29.7°C | 27.5°C | 25.2°C | 31.6°C | 23.7°C | 772 mm | 89% | 2 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2006 | 29.4°C | 27.3°C | 25.2°C | 31.5°C | 23.5°C | 452 mm | 90% | 2.4 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2005 | 30.7°C | 28.2°C | 25.6°C | 33.7°C | 23.4°C | 204 mm | 85% | 2.2 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2004 | 30.3°C | 27.9°C | 25.4°C | 32.0°C | 24.1°C | 383 mm | 87% | 1.9 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2003 | 30.1°C | 27.0°C | 24.0°C | 32.4°C | 20.2°C | 200 mm | 85% | 2.2 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2002 | 31.1°C | 27.9°C | 24.7°C | 32.7°C | 20.7°C | 167 mm | 80% | 1.6 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2001 | 30.0°C | 27.5°C | 25.0°C | 31.5°C | 22.0°C | 344 mm | 87% | 1.9 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2000 | 29.6°C | 27.2°C | 24.9°C | 31.3°C | 23.5°C | 403 mm | 87% | 2 m/s | 4.9 |
| 1999 | 29.9°C | 27.4°C | 25.0°C | 31.3°C | 23.6°C | 396 mm | 88% | 1.8 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1998 | 31.4°C | 28.4°C | 25.4°C | 32.8°C | 23.4°C | 356 mm | 83% | 1.8 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1997 | 30.2°C | 26.9°C | 23.5°C | 32.1°C | 19.8°C | 343 mm | 83% | 2.4 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1996 | 30.5°C | 27.5°C | 24.6°C | 32.5°C | 19.6°C | 234 mm | 84% | 2.1 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1995 | 29.7°C | 27.1°C | 24.5°C | 31.7°C | 21.1°C | 470 mm | 88% | 2.5 m/s | 5 |
| 1994 | 29.8°C | 26.7°C | 23.6°C | 31.2°C | 20.6°C | 256 mm | 87% | 2.5 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1993 | 30.9°C | 27.7°C | 24.5°C | 32.8°C | 22.9°C | 149 mm | 83% | 1.7 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1992 | 31.1°C | 28.2°C | 25.4°C | 32.8°C | 23.9°C | 165 mm | 82% | 1.4 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1991 | 31.0°C | 27.8°C | 24.6°C | 32.3°C | 22.5°C | 183 mm | 82% | 1.5 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1990 | 30.6°C | 27.9°C | 25.3°C | 32.3°C | 24.1°C | 225 mm | 86% | 2.4 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1989 | 29.0°C | 26.9°C | 24.8°C | 31.5°C | 23.7°C | 472 mm | 87% | 2.2 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1988 | 30.6°C | 28.1°C | 25.6°C | 32.6°C | 24.3°C | 280 mm | 88% | 2.6 m/s | 5.9 |
| 1987 | 30.6°C | 27.2°C | 23.8°C | 32.0°C | 20.9°C | 119 mm | 82% | 1.9 m/s | 6.7 |
| 1986 | 30.1°C | 27.4°C | 24.7°C | 31.6°C | 23.4°C | 221 mm | 85% | 1.9 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1985 | 30.2°C | 27.5°C | 24.8°C | 32.0°C | 21.2°C | 234 mm | 85% | 2.2 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1984 | 29.3°C | 26.9°C | 24.5°C | 31.1°C | 23.8°C | 396 mm | 88% | 2 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1983 | 29.8°C | 27.4°C | 25.1°C | 32.0°C | 24.2°C | 482 mm | 88% | 2.6 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 30.1°C | 27.2°C | 24.2°C | 32.5°C | 20.1°C | 266 mm | 83% | 1.9 m/s | — |
| 1981 ❄️ | 29.6°C | 26.7°C | 23.9°C | 31.1°C | 20.9°C | 343 mm | 86% | 2.5 m/s | — |
Actual recorded March data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in March is around 30.4°C with lows near 24.9°C (mean 27.7°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
March averages 282 mm of rainfall in Palmerston, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 772 mm in 2007.
The hottest March reached 33.8°C in 2019. The coldest dipped to 18.4°C in 2014.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average March temperatures have risen by about 1.1°C. Daytime highs moved from 29.8°C to 30.7°C and overnight lows from 24.5°C to 25.6°C over the same span.
March is close to Palmerston's year-round average and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 30.4°C daytime highs and 24.9°C at night.
Not quite — March is the 6th coolest month in Palmerston, averaging 27.7°C.
For March in Palmerston, pack light, breathable clothing and sun protection, with typical highs of 30.4°C and lows of 24.9°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in March averages 85% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in March is 2 m/s. The windiest March on record averaged 2.6 m/s (1983).
The wettest March on record was 2007 with 772 mm. On average, March sees 282 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Palmerston behaves each March, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for March specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
