New Zealand weather in December

Considering a trip to New Zealand this December and wondering about the expected weather conditions? Find all the crucial information you need right here, addressing your question:

What is the weather like in New Zealand in December?

In December, New Zealand experiences a range of weather conditions, with temperatures that range from moderate to warm and precipitation levels ranging from moderate to heavy.

During the day temperatures vary from moderate in Mount Cook Village at 13°C to warm in Mangonui at 23°C. At night it cools down to 16°C in Mangonui and 4°C in Mount Cook Village.

In December, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate rainfall in Akaroa with an average of 57 mm to heavy rainfall in Haast with 417 mm. Meanwhile, Auckland enjoys approximately 198 hours of sunshine, offering a mostly sunny climate that adds a pleasant and vibrant feel to the month.

To learn more about the conditions in specific areas of New Zealand in December, check out the map below. For more details on the yearly weather, visit our New Zealand climate page.

Where to go in New Zealand in December

Find the average weather conditions in December for the most popular destinations in New Zealand on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more detailed information.

Map not visible? Whoops sorry! Please refresh the page.
Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Popular destinations in New Zealand

What is the weather like in December for the 5 most popular destinations in New Zealand?

Average weather in Auckland

In December Auckland generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 22°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 16°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are pleasant that month.

Auckland
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
20°C 
13°C 
189 hours 
87 mm 
15 days 
22°C 
16°C 
198 hours 
101 mm 
14 days 
January   >> January
>>  
24°C 
17°C 
230 hours 
78 mm 
12 days 
Climate in Auckland

Average weather in Christchurch

In December Christchurch generally has pleasant temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 21°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 11°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.

Christchurch
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
19°C 
9°C 
224 hours 
61 mm 
9 days 
21°C 
11°C 
218 hours 
63 mm 
11 days 
January   >> January
>>  
22°C 
13°C 
238 hours 
58 mm 
8 days 
Climate in Christchurch

Average weather in Queenstown

In December Queenstown generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 15°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 6°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Queenstown
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
13°C 
3°C 
216 hours 
141 mm 
11 days 
poor 
15°C 
6°C 
223 hours 
149 mm 
12 days 
January   >> January
>>  
17°C 
7°C 
230 hours 
143 mm 
11 days 
Climate in Queenstown

Average weather in Rotorua

In December Rotorua generally has pleasant temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 21°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 12°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are pleasant that month.

Rotorua
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
19°C 
9°C 
201 hours 
105 mm 
12 days 
21°C 
12°C 
217 hours 
127 mm 
13 days 
January   >> January
>>  
23°C 
13°C 
240 hours 
95 mm 
10 days 
Climate in Rotorua

Average weather in Taupo

In December Taupo generally has pleasant temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 20°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 11°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are pleasant that month.

Taupo
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
18°C 
8°C 
192 hours 
110 mm 
12 days 
20°C 
11°C 
206 hours 
122 mm 
13 days 
January   >> January
>>  
22°C 
12°C 
224 hours 
90 mm 
10 days 
Climate in Taupo

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in New Zealand.

Is December the best time to visit New Zealand?

In our opinion, December is a good time to visit New Zealand with overall pleasant weather in Auckland. However, the weather conditions may vary depending on your destination.

On average, the best time to visit New Zealand is in January, February, March, April and November with generally perfect weather in Auckland. On the other hand, the weather in June, July, August and September tend to be unpleasant.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in New Zealand. Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.

  • January      
  • February      
  • March      
  • April      
  • May      
  • June      
  • July      
  • August      
  • September      
  • October      
  • November      
  • December      
  • Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to New Zealand? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in New Zealand.

    Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal climate conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.