Best time to visit Christchurch

February is the best month in Christchurch, scoring 83 out of 100, with July the weakest at 47. The 36-point spread means timing is worth planning around without being decisive. 5 of the twelve months sit within ten points of the best, so there is more than one right answer.

January is the warmest month at 24.3 °C and July the coolest at 10.7 °C — a 13.6 °C spread across the year. 7 nights a year dip below freezing.

There is a real wet season here. May, August, October and December carry the rain — up to 14 wet days in a month — while February drops as low as 9. That 5-day gap is the biggest single difference between a good month and a bad one in Christchurch, and it moves further than the temperature does.

The sea peaks at just 15.9 °C, which is wetsuit territory even at its warmest — a coast to look at rather than swim in. Daylight runs from 9 hours in winter to 15.4 in summer, enough to notice on a sightseeing itinerary.

The three strongest months are February, March, January. The one to think twice about is July. Each month below has its own page with rainfall reliability, extremes, daylight, sea temperature and crowd levels.

Christchurch month by month