Rotorua Temperature by Month
The average annual maximum temperature in Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand is 18°C (64°F), with daytime highs ranging from 13°C (55°F) in July to 24°C (75°F) in February. This page covers monthly averages, day-night differences, and how Rotorua compares to cities worldwide.
Rotorua Monthly Temperatures
The moderate changes in the climate in Rotorua ensure gradual weather shifts through each season. At night, temperatures drop to between 14°C (57°F) and 5°C (41°F) depending on the time of year.
The chart below illustrates the average maximum day and minimum night temperatures in Rotorua by month:
Low temperatures are most often recorded between 4 AM and 6 AM, while highs typically occur around 3 PM. February, the city's warmest month, sees 207 hours of sunshine.
The chart below shows the average temperature throughout the year:
Daily Historical Temperatures
49-year average (1976-2025)
Average high and low temperatures for each day of the month based on long-term records.
Average temperatures in May
Historical Rotorua Temperatures: 1976-2026
Browse day-by-day temperature records for Rotorua spanning 51 years. Select any month and year to see actual high and low temperatures recorded on each day.
Temperature: Rotorua vs New Zealand
The map below shows the annual temperature across New Zealand. You can also select individual months if you want to compare a specific time of year.
very warm
warm
pleasant
moderate
cold
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Rotorua vs World: Temperature Compared
Rotorua's average annual maximum temperature is 18°C (64°F). To put that in context, here's how it compares to a few well-known destinations:
Rome, Italy averages 20°C (68°F) annually, with reliably warm summers and comfortable winters.
Interlaken, Switzerland averages 8°C (46°F) a year, with cold winters and cool summers thanks to its Alpine setting.
San Francisco, USA averages 19°C (66°F) annually, but with little seasonal variation — summers are often cool and foggy, winters mild.
Tokyo, Japan averages 21°C (70°F) a year, with hot summers, cool winters, and a well-defined cherry blossom spring.
What Does the Temperature Feel Like in Rotorua?
Temperature alone doesn't tell the whole story — humidity plays a big role in how warm or cold it actually feels. High humidity in summer makes the heat feel more intense, particularly once temperatures climb above 25°C. In winter, the same humidity can make cold air feel sharper than the thermometer suggests.
In the cooler months, when temperatures drop below 10°C, high humidity makes the cold feel more cutting than it would in dry conditions.
In Rotorua, July is the coolest month, with average highs of 13°C (55°F) and humidity around 87% — considered very high. In February, the warmest month, temperatures average 24°C (75°F) with 80% humidity — conditions that feel very high. For a full picture, see our humidity page.
Climate temperature data is typically calculated as a 30-year average. This smooths out year-to-year variability and gives a more reliable picture of what a place is actually like, rather than what happened in any single unusual year.
The readings come from a range of sources — land-based weather stations, ocean buoys, ships, and satellites. That data is collected by weather services around the world, then pooled, quality-checked, and averaged to produce the climate records you see here.
Whether a city sits on the coast or deep inland makes a significant difference to its climate. Coastal areas tend to have more stable temperatures year-round — large bodies of water absorb heat slowly in summer and release it gradually in winter, keeping extremes in check. Cities far from the sea don't benefit from that buffer, which is why continental climates tend to have hotter summers and colder winters than their coastal counterparts at the same latitude.
For more on Rotorua's weather — including monthly rainfall, sunshine hours, and humidity — visit our Rotorua climate page.
