Franz Josef weather in August

In August, Franz Josef sees average daytime highs of 3°C and overnight lows near -3°C, with 232 mm of precipitation across 14.6 wet days and about 10.2 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 3°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in August, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 36 min at the start of August to 10 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Franz Josef's 3rd-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Franz Josef's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10th warmest
Overnight low
-3°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
232 mm
14.6 wet days
Daylight
10 h 12 min
8:37 AM – 6:49 PM
Cloud cover
68%
3rd clearest
Wind
4 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
2.67 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Franz Josef is village in New Zealand.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 3°C through the month.

A typical August day in Franz Josef reaches about 3°C in the afternoon and slips back to -3°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 1°C and 6°C. Set against its neighbours, August runs about 1°C warmer than July and about 2°C cooler than September.

-10°-5°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13-3
23-3
33-3
43-3
53-3
63-3
73-3
83-3
93-3
103-3
113-3
123-3
133-3
143-3
153-3
163-3
173-3
183-3
193-3
204-3
214-3
224-3
234-3
244-3
254-3
264-3
274-3
284-2
294-2
304-2
314-2

How August really feels in Franz Josef

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
31
wind chill below the day's low

The story in August is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Franz Josef weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 10th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan14° / 309160.814.83.3
Feb14° / 22814.10.913.83.6
Mar12° / 25114.11.412.43.0
Apr10° / 26413.52.810.81.9
May / -1°28615.16.79.50.7
Jun / -4°26113.18.78.80.0
Jul / -4°22812.810.69.10.0
Aug / -3°23214.611.810.20.0
Sep / -2°31616.712.111.70.1
Oct / -0°324191013.20.6
Nov / 30318.36.514.51.5
Dec12° / 34219.12.715.22.4

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 64%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13565
23565
33565
43466
53466
63466
73466
83466
93466
103466
113565
123565
133664
143664
153664
163664
173763
183664
193664
203664
213664
223763
233763
243763
253763
263763
273763
283664
293664
303664
313664

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitationSnow

Franz Josef gets around 232 mm of rain and snow over 14.6 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 48% and peaks near 51% on the wettest days, and about 12 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14537
24537
34538
44638
54639
64739
74740
84841
94841
104841
114842
124842
134842
144842
154942
164941
174941
184941
194940
204939
214839
224838
234837
244837
254837
264936
274936
285037
295037
305137
315138

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of August feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, August lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in August

Winds average 4 km/h in August.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 4 km/h on the calmest days to 5 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
14calm
24calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 36 min at the start of August to 10 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 78 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 8:58 AM to 8:12 AM, and sunset from 6:33 PM to 7:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.68:586:33
29.68:576:34
39.78:556:35
49.78:546:36
59.78:536:37
69.88:526:38
79.88:506:39
89.98:496:40
99.98:486:42
109.98:466:43
1110.08:456:44
1210.08:436:45
1310.18:426:46
1410.18:406:47
1510.28:396:48
1610.28:376:49
1710.28:366:51
1810.38:346:52
1910.38:336:53
2010.48:316:54
2110.48:296:55
2210.58:286:56
2310.58:266:57
2410.68:246:59
2510.68:237:00
2610.78:217:01
2710.78:197:02
2810.88:177:03
2910.88:167:04
3010.98:147:05
3110.98:127:07

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 2.67 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.52 kWh/m² to a high of 6.64 kWh/m² in January across the year — August's 2.67 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.1Moderate
22.1Moderate
32.2Moderate
42.2Moderate
52.2Moderate
62.3Moderate
72.3Moderate
82.4Moderate
92.4Moderate
102.4Moderate
112.5Moderate
122.5Moderate
132.5Moderate
142.6Moderate
152.6Moderate
162.7Moderate
172.7Moderate
182.7Moderate
192.8Moderate
202.8Moderate
212.9Moderate
222.9Moderate
232.9Moderate
243.0Moderate
253.0Moderate
263.0Moderate
273.1Moderate
283.1Moderate
293.2Moderate
303.2Moderate
313.2Moderate
Planning a trip in August

Is August a good time to visit Franz Josef?

Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

0.0
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

August is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Franz Josef.

What to pack for Franz Josef in August

From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In August, Franz Josef sees daytime highs around 3°C and nights near -3°C. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. Worth having: a heavy coat. About 15 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara heavy coat

Sea temperature near Franz Josef in August

The nearest coast averages about 13°C in August — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 25 km away) is warmest in February at about 18°C and coldest in August near 13°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

12°14°16°18°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan17Cool
Feb18Cool
Mar17Cool
Apr16Cool
May15Bracing
Jun14Bracing
Jul13Bracing
Aug13Bracing
Sep13Bracing
Oct13Bracing
Nov14Bracing
Dec16Cool

UV index in Franz Josef in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Franz Josef peaks around January 15 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 16 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateLowModerateHighVery highJan 15UV 10Jun 16UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb10Very high
Mar6High
Apr3Moderate
May2Low
Jun1Low
Jul2Low
Aug2Moderate
Sep4Moderate
Oct6High
Nov8Very high
Dec10Very high
Location & terrain

Where is Franz Josef?

Franz Josef sits at 43.4°S, 170.2°E, 0 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Tekapo, 73 km away.

AshburtonTimaruWanakaRollestonRangioraChristchurchQueenstown

Topography around Franz Josef

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Franz Josef.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Franz Josef has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,047 m around an average of 294 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,067 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,635 m.

The land around Franz Josef is covered by trees (72%) within 3 km, trees (59%) within 16 km, and water (29%), grassland (27%) and trees (23%) within 80 km.

3 km
1,047 m
16 km
3,067 m
80 km
3,635 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewater
August weather nearby: Tekapo 73 km · Ashburton 137 km · Timaru 141 km · Wanaka 167 km · Rolleston 179 km · Rangiora 194 km · Christchurch 198 km · Queenstown 219 km

New Zealand travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 86% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$49,591
2025
Happiness
7.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.5
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
9.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
no religion 49%Christian 37%objected to answering 7%Hindu 3%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Franz Josef (-43.3891°, 170.1819°, elevation 0 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).