October is one of the cooler months of the year in Whanganui, with average highs near 15.3°C and lows around 9.9°C (mean 12.6°C). It is about average for rainfall, averaging 92 mm of rainfall and 83% relative humidity across the period.
October is one of the cooler months of the year in Whanganui. Across 45 years of records, the warmest October in Whanganui was 2001 — when the month averaged 14.3°C — while the coldest was 2009 at 11°C. Typical October days reach 15.3°C with nights near 9.9°C. The long-term October temperature trend is broadly flat.
October is about average for rainfall in Whanganui, averaging 92 mm of rainfall. The wettest October on record was 2006 with 151 mm, while the driest was 1999 at 19 mm.
Relative humidity in Whanganui during October averages 83%. The most humid October was 1995 at 85%, and the least humid was 1985 at 78%.
October receives about 4.6 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Whanganui. The sunniest October was 2010 at 5.2 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2025 at 4.
Average wind speed in Whanganui during October is 5.1 m/s. The windiest October was 1988 at 7.1 m/s, while the calmest was 2005 at 4 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 12.7°C | 12.5°C | 12.4°C | 12.6°C | 13.1°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg High | 15.4°C | 15.2°C | 15.1°C | 15.3°C | 15.8°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg Low | 10.0°C | 9.8°C | 9.7°C | 10.0°C | 10.4°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg Rain | 84 mm | 94 mm | 98 mm | 91 mm | 96 mm | +12 mm |
October temperatures in Whanganui have risen by about 0.8°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
October has ranged from a record low of 3.1°C (1994) to a record high of 21.2°C (2001).
Rainfall in October is about average for rainfall, averaging 92 mm, with a wettest year of 151 mm.
A good time to visit Whanganui
October is a good time to visit Whanganui, with days averaging 15.3°C and nights around 9.9°C (mean 12.6°C, cooler than Whanganui's yearly average) and higher rainfall. February and January are marginally more temperate, but October still suits most travellers.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 16.0°C | 13.6°C | 11.1°C | 19.7°C | 8.2°C | 125 mm | 84% | 6.4 m/s | 4 |
| 2024 | 15.8°C | 13.2°C | 10.5°C | 19.8°C | 6.4°C | 93 mm | 84% | 4.7 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2023 | 15.5°C | 12.7°C | 9.8°C | 20.6°C | 4.4°C | 62 mm | 84% | 5.1 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2022 | 15.1°C | 12.4°C | 9.6°C | 20.0°C | 4.6°C | 97 mm | 83% | 4.8 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2021 | 16.1°C | 13.5°C | 10.9°C | 20.7°C | 6.6°C | 107 mm | 84% | 4.3 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2020 | 16.3°C | 13.3°C | 10.3°C | 20.0°C | 5.3°C | 92 mm | 84% | 4.5 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2019 | 14.9°C | 12.3°C | 9.7°C | 18.2°C | 6.3°C | 125 mm | 83% | 5.4 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2018 | 15.6°C | 12.6°C | 9.7°C | 18.2°C | 6.6°C | 77 mm | 83% | 4.2 m/s | 5 |
| 2017 | 15.4°C | 13.1°C | 10.9°C | 19.1°C | 6.8°C | 87 mm | 85% | 4.7 m/s | 4.5 |
| 2016 | 15.6°C | 12.9°C | 10.3°C | 18.2°C | 6.9°C | 88 mm | 83% | 5 m/s | 4.6 |
| 2015 | 14.9°C | 12.4°C | 9.9°C | 17.3°C | 6.1°C | 75 mm | 84% | 5.7 m/s | 5 |
| 2014 | 15.4°C | 12.4°C | 9.5°C | 18.8°C | 6.4°C | 58 mm | 82% | 5.3 m/s | 4.9 |
| 2013 | 15.6°C | 13.0°C | 10.4°C | 17.6°C | 6.3°C | 127 mm | 83% | 5.9 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2012 | 14.9°C | 12.3°C | 9.8°C | 18.5°C | 5.7°C | 70 mm | 80% | 6.2 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2011 | 15.5°C | 12.8°C | 10.1°C | 18.6°C | 4.9°C | 141 mm | 85% | 4.2 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2010 | 14.8°C | 12.0°C | 9.3°C | 18.3°C | 6.4°C | 57 mm | 82% | 4.9 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2009 ❄️ | 13.5°C | 11.0°C | 8.5°C | 17.1°C | 5.5°C | 139 mm | 83% | 5.2 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2008 | 15.1°C | 12.7°C | 10.3°C | 18.9°C | 7.1°C | 100 mm | 83% | 5.3 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2007 | 14.7°C | 12.0°C | 9.4°C | 17.4°C | 4.2°C | 90 mm | 80% | 6.8 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2006 🌧️ | 14.4°C | 11.9°C | 9.4°C | 17.8°C | 4.3°C | 151 mm | 83% | 5.8 m/s | 4.3 |
| 2005 | 15.7°C | 12.9°C | 10.1°C | 18.7°C | 6.6°C | 108 mm | 82% | 4 m/s | 4.7 |
| 2004 | 15.1°C | 12.4°C | 9.6°C | 19.2°C | 4.5°C | 96 mm | 83% | 5 m/s | 4.4 |
| 2003 | 15.3°C | 12.3°C | 9.3°C | 18.8°C | 5.9°C | 83 mm | 81% | 4.5 m/s | 5 |
| 2002 | 14.0°C | 11.3°C | 8.6°C | 17.2°C | 5.2°C | 51 mm | 80% | 5.7 m/s | 4.8 |
| 2001 🔥 | 17.2°C | 14.3°C | 11.5°C | 21.2°C | 6.7°C | 94 mm | 82% | 4.8 m/s | 4.2 |
| 2000 | 15.9°C | 12.9°C | 10.0°C | 20.6°C | 5.1°C | 66 mm | 80% | 5.5 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1999 | 16.9°C | 13.9°C | 10.9°C | 20.4°C | 5.8°C | 19 mm | 81% | 4.5 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1998 | 16.0°C | 13.7°C | 11.4°C | 19.5°C | 7.3°C | 149 mm | 81% | 7 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1997 | 15.0°C | 12.4°C | 9.8°C | 19.5°C | 6.7°C | 70 mm | 83% | 5.4 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1996 | 15.2°C | 12.6°C | 9.9°C | 17.6°C | 6.2°C | 102 mm | 83% | 5.1 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1995 | 15.1°C | 12.5°C | 9.9°C | 18.0°C | 5.9°C | 118 mm | 85% | 4.3 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1994 | 14.5°C | 11.6°C | 8.7°C | 17.7°C | 3.1°C | 128 mm | 83% | 4.4 m/s | 4.8 |
| 1993 | 15.4°C | 12.6°C | 9.9°C | 18.1°C | 7.2°C | 57 mm | 82% | 5 m/s | 4.6 |
| 1992 | 14.1°C | 11.2°C | 8.3°C | 17.1°C | 5.4°C | 135 mm | 85% | 4.3 m/s | 4.2 |
| 1991 | 14.5°C | 11.9°C | 9.3°C | 17.5°C | 6.1°C | 78 mm | 83% | 5 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1990 | 15.7°C | 13.0°C | 10.3°C | 18.5°C | 6.3°C | 81 mm | 84% | 4.5 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1989 | 16.5°C | 13.8°C | 11.1°C | 19.9°C | 7.7°C | 127 mm | 83% | 5.1 m/s | 4.3 |
| 1988 | 15.3°C | 13.0°C | 10.7°C | 18.8°C | 5.8°C | 118 mm | 83% | 7.1 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1987 | 16.0°C | 13.0°C | 10.1°C | 19.2°C | 5.5°C | 72 mm | 81% | 4.8 m/s | 4.5 |
| 1986 | 15.5°C | 13.0°C | 10.5°C | 18.8°C | 8.3°C | 78 mm | 84% | 4.3 m/s | 4.4 |
| 1985 | 15.8°C | 12.3°C | 8.9°C | 19.4°C | 5.1°C | 69 mm | 78% | 4.3 m/s | 5 |
| 1984 | 15.0°C | 12.4°C | 9.7°C | 19.6°C | 5.7°C | 54 mm | 80% | 5.6 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1983 | 15.8°C | 13.1°C | 10.3°C | 21.1°C | 6.8°C | 78 mm | 84% | 4.7 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 13.7°C | 11.2°C | 8.8°C | 16.8°C | 5.3°C | 80 mm | 81% | 5.7 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 15.4°C | 12.5°C | 9.6°C | 18.4°C | 5.4°C | 81 mm | 83% | 5.5 m/s | — |
Actual recorded October data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in October is around 15.3°C with lows near 9.9°C (mean 12.6°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
October averages 92 mm of rainfall in Whanganui, about average for rainfall. The wettest on record was 151 mm in 2006.
The hottest October reached 21.2°C in 2001. The coldest dipped to 3.1°C in 1994.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average October temperatures have risen by about 0.8°C. Daytime highs moved from 15.1°C to 15.7°C and overnight lows from 9.5°C to 10.4°C over the same span.
October is one of the cooler months of the year in Whanganui and about average for rainfall, so plan for around 15.3°C daytime highs and 9.9°C at night.
Not quite — October is the 5th coolest month in Whanganui, averaging 12.6°C.
For October in Whanganui, pack light layers you can adjust through the day, with typical highs of 15.3°C and lows of 9.9°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in October averages 83% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in October is 5.1 m/s. The windiest October on record averaged 7.1 m/s (1988).
The wettest October on record was 2006 with 151 mm. On average, October sees 92 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 Whanganui behaves each October, 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 October specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
