Canterbury has a warm temperate climate with warm summers and mild winters.
Canterbury has an average annual temperature of 12.0°C across all 6 cities, with approximately 819 mm of annual precipitation and average humidity of 78%. Temperatures peak in January and drop to their lowest in July, while rainfall is highest during summer months.
The warmest city is Kairaki with average July highs of 10.1°C, while Kairaki is the coldest with average January lows of 11.5°C. Humidity remains high throughout the year creating warm and humid conditions. These seasonal patterns offer comfortable conditions year-round, with warm summers and mild winters.
| Month | 🌤️ | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Record High | Record Low | Humid % | Rain (mm) | Wind (m/s) | Solar (kWh/m²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | ☀️ | 21.7°C | 17.0°C | 12.3°C | 35.3°C | 4.7°C | 69% | 64 | 3.3 | 6.30 |
| February | ☀️ | 21.6°C | 17.0°C | 12.4°C | 37.3°C | 5.2°C | 71% | 58 | 3.2 | 5.50 |
| March | ☀️ | 19.6°C | 15.3°C | 11.0°C | 32.6°C | 2.0°C | 74% | 63 | 3.1 | 4.20 |
| April | 🌤️ | 16.6°C | 12.7°C | 8.8°C | 26.5°C | -0.2°C | 78% | 67 | 2.9 | 2.90 |
| May | 🌤️ | 13.5°C | 10.1°C | 6.7°C | 24.4°C | -1.8°C | 82% | 71 | 2.9 | 1.90 |
| June | 🌤️ | 10.5°C | 7.6°C | 4.7°C | 19.2°C | -5.4°C | 85% | 76 | 2.9 | 1.40 |
| July | 🌤️ | 9.8°C | 6.9°C | 3.9°C | 18.7°C | -2.8°C | 86% | 76 | 2.8 | 1.60 |
| August | 🌤️ | 11.0°C | 7.7°C | 4.4°C | 21.5°C | -2.3°C | 84% | 72 | 2.9 | 2.40 |
| September | 🌤️ | 13.2°C | 9.3°C | 5.5°C | 22.5°C | -2.5°C | 81% | 60 | 3.1 | 3.70 |
| October | 🌤️ | 15.2°C | 11.1°C | 7.0°C | 25.4°C | -1.5°C | 78% | 73 | 3.2 | 4.90 |
| November | 🌤️ | 17.4°C | 13.1°C | 8.8°C | 30.3°C | 0.5°C | 74% | 65 | 3.2 | 6.00 |
| December | ☀️ | 19.8°C | 15.3°C | 10.9°C | 33.6°C | 2.7°C | 72% | 75 | 3.3 | 6.30 |
Showing average climate conditions across 45 years (1981–2025) · averaged across all 6 cities in Canterbury
🧥 Light layers are sufficient — this Mild Winter stays cool without prolonged hard freezes.
🌤️ Conditions are ideal for outdoor activities throughout the day in this Mild Summer.
☔ Rainfall is spread across the year with no sharply defined wet season.
Region-wide monthly averages across 6 cities · 1981–2025 · °C
Temperatures rise steadily from spring, peak in January, and gradually decline through autumn into winter.
These seasonal patterns offer comfortable conditions year-round, with warm summers and mild winters.
Region-wide monthly rainfall · 1981–2025 · mm/month
💧 Humidity peaks at 86% in July · annual avg 78%
Monthly averages · 1981–2025
Across 45 years, Canterbury's temperature shows a slight warming trend over the past decade. 2019 was the warmest year overall and 1992 the coolest.
The warmest year on record was 2019 (avg: 12.7°C), while the coldest year was 1992 (avg: 10.6°C).
Averaged across all 6 cities in Canterbury · Last 30 years · °C
Averaged across all 6 cities in Canterbury · Last 30 years · mm/year
🔥 hottest · ❄️ coldest · 🌧️ wettest
ℹ️ Values are averages across all 6 cities in Canterbury for each year.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall (mm) | Avg Humidity | Avg Wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 | 16.1°C | 12.3°C | 8.4°C | 32.4°C | -0.6°C | 843 | 79% | 3.1 m/s |
2024 | 16.3°C | 12.3°C | 8.2°C | 33.3°C | -1.8°C | 797 | 78% | 2.9 m/s |
2023 | 16.2°C | 12.5°C | 8.8°C | 33.0°C | -0.3°C | 946 | 80% | 3.1 m/s |
2022 | 15.9°C | 12.3°C | 8.7°C | 30.7°C | -2.1°C | 1012 | 81% | 2.9 m/s |
2021 | 16.3°C | 12.4°C | 8.5°C | 35.1°C | -1.4°C | 837 | 79% | 3.0 m/s |
2020 | 16.6°C | 12.5°C | 8.4°C | 32.4°C | -1.8°C | 691 | 77% | 3.1 m/s |
2019 | 16.8°C | 12.7°C | 8.6°C | 33.7°C | -1.4°C | 848 | 77% | 3.1 m/s |
2018 | 16.0°C | 12.4°C | 8.7°C | 35.2°C | -0.3°C | 1045 | 81% | 2.9 m/s |
2017 | 15.9°C | 12.2°C | 8.4°C | 31.9°C | -1.4°C | 957 | 80% | 3.0 m/s |
2016 | 16.3°C | 12.4°C | 8.5°C | 30.8°C | -1.8°C | 885 | 78% | 3.0 m/s |
Showing 1 to 10 of 45 years
All weather data is sourced from NASA POWER (Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources), a NASA project providing solar and meteorological data for renewable energy, building efficiency, and agricultural research.
