Climate and average weather in Hamilton
In Hamilton, the summers are warm, fairly dry, and partly cloudy and the winters are cool and partly cloudy.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Hamilton typically varies from 6°C to 24°C, and is rarely below -1°C or above 27°C. February is the hottest month of the year, while July is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Hamilton for warm-weather activities are from early January to early May and mid November to late December.
- Hottest
- Feb
- 24°
- Coldest
- Jul
- 6°
- Wettest
- Jul
- 128 mm
- Driest
- Feb
- 70 mm
- Rain / yr
- 1175 mm
- 135 wet days
- Daylight
- 9.4–14.6 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 39 m
- 37.8°S
- Clearest
- Jun
- 60% cloud
Hamilton is largest city in New Zealand's Waikato region.
- Air quality
- Excellent
- PM10 13.4 µg/m³ · 2012
- Density
- 1,734/km²
- people per km²
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Hamilton weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early January to early May.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Hamilton, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 3.2 months, from December 21 to March 28, with daily high temperatures above 21°C. The hottest month of the year in Hamilton is February, with an average high of 24°C and low of 15°C.
The cool season lasts 3.7 months, from May 27 to September 15, with daily high temperatures below 16°C. The coldest month of the year in Hamilton is July, with an average low of 6°C and high of 14°C.
Days typically run about 8°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 23 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 21 |
| Avg low (°C) | 15 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 13 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 15 |
| Feb | 24 | 15 |
| Mar | 22 | 13 |
| Apr | 19 | 11 |
| May | 17 | 9 |
| Jun | 14 | 7 |
| Jul | 14 | 6 |
| Aug | 14 | 6 |
| Sep | 16 | 8 |
| Oct | 17 | 10 |
| Nov | 19 | 11 |
| Dec | 21 | 13 |
Average hourly temperature in Hamilton
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on February afternoons, near 24°C, and coldest before dawn in July, near 6°C.
Hamilton weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23° / 15° | 71 | 8.8 | 14.3 | 6.9 |
| Feb | 24° / 15° | 70 | 7.9 | 13.5 | 7.1 |
| Mar | 22° / 13° | 72 | 7.8 | 12.3 | 7.0 |
| Apr | 19° / 11° | 91 | 9.4 | 11.1 | 6.2 |
| May | 17° / 9° | 107 | 11.6 | 10 | 5.2 |
| Jun | 14° / 7° | 114 | 12.3 | 9.4 | 4.0 |
| Jul | 14° / 6° | 128 | 13.5 | 9.7 | 3.6 |
| Aug | 14° / 6° | 122 | 14.8 | 10.5 | 3.8 |
| Sep | 16° / 8° | 114 | 13.9 | 11.7 | 4.3 |
| Oct | 17° / 10° | 100 | 12.7 | 13 | 5.1 |
| Nov | 19° / 11° | 88 | 11.1 | 14 | 5.7 |
| Dec | 21° / 13° | 99 | 11 | 14.6 | 6.2 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Hamilton gets about 1175 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is often wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 6.0 months, from around May 16 to Nov 15, peaking in August at about 51% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Mar 8.
July is the wettest month by volume, with 128 mm over about 14 wet days; February is the driest, with 70 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 29 | 28 | 26 | 31 | 37 | 42 | 45 | 47 | 45 | 41 | 37 | 35 |
| Rain days | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 9 |
| Feb | 28 | 8 |
| Mar | 26 | 8 |
| Apr | 31 | 9 |
| May | 37 | 12 |
| Jun | 42 | 12 |
| Jul | 45 | 14 |
| Aug | 47 | 15 |
| Sep | 45 | 14 |
| Oct | 41 | 13 |
| Nov | 37 | 11 |
| Dec | 35 | 11 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Hamilton collects about 1175 mm of rain across 135 wet days — roughly 98 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. July is the wettest month with 128 mm, while February is the driest at just 70 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 31% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 71 | 70 | 72 | 91 | 107 | 114 | 128 | 122 | 114 | 100 | 88 | 99 |
| Rain days | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71 | 9 |
| Feb | 70 | 8 |
| Mar | 72 | 8 |
| Apr | 91 | 9 |
| May | 107 | 12 |
| Jun | 114 | 12 |
| Jul | 128 | 14 |
| Aug | 122 | 15 |
| Sep | 114 | 14 |
| Oct | 100 | 13 |
| Nov | 88 | 11 |
| Dec | 99 | 11 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Hamilton, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around February 12 and lasts for 6.8 months, ending around September 5. The clearest month is June, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 49% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around September 6 and lasts for 5.2 months, ending around February 11. The cloudiest month is November, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 66% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 40 | 44 | 48 | 46 | 48 | 49 | 46 | 46 | 41 | 36 | 34 | 36 |
| Cloudier (%) | 60 | 56 | 52 | 54 | 52 | 51 | 54 | 54 | 59 | 64 | 66 | 64 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 60 |
| Feb | 44 | 56 |
| Mar | 48 | 52 |
| Apr | 46 | 54 |
| May | 48 | 52 |
| Jun | 49 | 51 |
| Jul | 46 | 54 |
| Aug | 46 | 54 |
| Sep | 41 | 59 |
| Oct | 36 | 64 |
| Nov | 34 | 66 |
| Dec | 36 | 64 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around January 1, brings about 14 h 36 min of light; the shortest, around June 11, only 9 h 24 min — a swing of roughly 5 h 12 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 14.3 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 | 9.7 | 10.5 | 11.7 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.6 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:18 | 6:50 | 7:19 | 7:48 | 8:16 | 8:37 | 8:36 | 8:07 | 7:20 | 6:34 | 6:02 | 5:57 |
| Sunset (PM) | 8:39 | 8:17 | 7:38 | 6:50 | 6:14 | 6:01 | 6:13 | 6:39 | 7:06 | 7:34 | 8:06 | 8:33 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14.3 | 6:18 | 8:39 |
| Feb | 13.5 | 6:50 | 8:17 |
| Mar | 12.3 | 7:19 | 7:38 |
| Apr | 11.1 | 7:48 | 6:50 |
| May | 10.0 | 8:16 | 6:14 |
| Jun | 9.4 | 8:37 | 6:01 |
| Jul | 9.7 | 8:36 | 6:13 |
| Aug | 10.5 | 8:07 | 6:39 |
| Sep | 11.7 | 7:20 | 7:06 |
| Oct | 13.0 | 6:34 | 7:34 |
| Nov | 14.0 | 6:02 | 8:06 |
| Dec | 14.6 | 5:57 | 8:33 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Hamilton averages about 6 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 3 and 9 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 8.0 months, from around Jan 3 to Sep 1. The sunniest month is July, with roughly 8 sunny days (mixed).
The greyest month is November, down near 4 sunny days — about 52% fewer than the July peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Mixed | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 6 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 7 | Gloomy |
| Apr | 7 | Gloomy |
| May | 7 | Gloomy |
| Jun | 8 | Gloomy |
| Jul | 8 | Mixed |
| Aug | 7 | Gloomy |
| Sep | 5 | Gloomy |
| Oct | 4 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 4 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 5 | Gloomy |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Hamilton, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 4.6 months, from around November 29 to April 18. The muggiest month is February, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 36% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around April 19 to November 28, and October is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 100% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 32 | 29 | 45 | 67 | 83 | 94 | 98 | 99 | 94 | 88 | 75 | 46 |
| Comfortable (%) | 39 | 35 | 37 | 21 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 20 | 35 |
| Humid (%) | 24 | 27 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 17 |
| Muggy (%) | 6 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 39 | 24 | 6 |
| Feb | 29 | 35 | 27 | 8 |
| Mar | 45 | 37 | 15 | 2 |
| Apr | 67 | 21 | 11 | 1 |
| May | 83 | 13 | 4 | 0 |
| Jun | 94 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Jul | 98 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 94 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 88 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 75 | 20 | 5 | 0 |
| Dec | 46 | 35 | 17 | 2 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Hamilton is typically light breeze, near 13 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 5.3 months, from around Aug 7 to Jan 15. The windiest month is October, averaging about 15 km/h (light breeze).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Jan 16 to Jun 25, with April the calmest month at about 11 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | calm | calm | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | light breeze |
| Feb | 12 | light breeze |
| Mar | 12 | calm |
| Apr | 11 | calm |
| May | 12 | light breeze |
| Jun | 13 | light breeze |
| Jul | 13 | light breeze |
| Aug | 13 | light breeze |
| Sep | 14 | light breeze |
| Oct | 15 | light breeze |
| Nov | 15 | light breeze |
| Dec | 14 | light breeze |
Hazard calendar for Hamilton
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Hamilton sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.
Best time to visit Hamilton
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Hamilton throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late April, Hamilton is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Hamilton for general outdoor tourist activities is from mid November to early May, with a peak score in the first week of March.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 6.9 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 6.2 | 5.2 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 5.8 | 6.2 |
| Rating | good | good | good | good | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | good | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.9 | good |
| Feb | 7.1 | good |
| Mar | 7.0 | good |
| Apr | 6.2 | good |
| May | 5.2 | fair |
| Jun | 4.0 | fair |
| Jul | 3.6 | fair |
| Aug | 3.8 | fair |
| Sep | 4.4 | fair |
| Oct | 5.1 | fair |
| Nov | 5.8 | good |
| Dec | 6.2 | good |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Hamilton for hot-weather activities is from early January to mid March, with a peak score in the first week of February.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Hamilton, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around February (highs near 24°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around July (highs near 14°C), pack a warm layer and rain gear.
In February, Hamilton sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 15°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 8 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Hamilton
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 40 km away) is warmest in February at about 21°C and coldest in August near 14°C.
It's comfortable for a long swim from Jan 17 to Mar 15 — about 1.9 months when the water holds above 20°C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 20 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 19 |
| Comfort | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Cool | Cool | Cool | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Cool | Cool | Cool |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | Refreshing |
| Feb | 21 | Refreshing |
| Mar | 20 | Refreshing |
| Apr | 19 | Cool |
| May | 17 | Cool |
| Jun | 15 | Cool |
| Jul | 14 | Bracing |
| Aug | 14 | Bracing |
| Sep | 14 | Bracing |
| Oct | 15 | Cool |
| Nov | 17 | Cool |
| Dec | 19 | Cool |
UV index (midday) in Hamilton by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Hamilton peaks around January 12 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 18 at about 2 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 12 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 12 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate | Low | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Very high | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12 | Extreme |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 8 | Very high |
| Apr | 5 | High |
| May | 3 | Moderate |
| Jun | 2 | Low |
| Jul | 2 | Moderate |
| Aug | 3 | Moderate |
| Sep | 5 | Moderate |
| Oct | 7 | Very high |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 12 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Hamilton
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in January the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 9 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 7 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 9 | 8.5 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 | 5 | 7 | 8.5 | 9.5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 | 6 | 7 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | 7 |
| Feb | 8.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 7 | 4 |
| Apr | 5 | 0 |
| May | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 2.5 | 0 |
| Sep | 5 | 0 |
| Oct | 7 | 3.5 |
| Nov | 8.5 | 6 |
| Dec | 9.5 | 7 |
Growing season
Hamilton is mild enough that a frost-free day stays more likely than not even in midwinter. Nights are reliably above freezing from about July 13 to June 26 (349 days); outside that window a hard frost is an occasional risk.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 98 | 92 | 91 | 96 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 98 | 0 |
| Jun | 92 | 9 |
| Jul | 91 | 17 |
| Aug | 96 | 0 |
| Sep | 99 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Hamilton banks about 1,564 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around February.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 276 | 264 | 237 | 152 | 82 | 15 | 0 | 9 | 52 | 103 | 150 | 225 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 276 |
| Feb | 264 |
| Mar | 237 |
| Apr | 152 |
| May | 82 |
| Jun | 15 |
| Jul | 0 |
| Aug | 9 |
| Sep | 52 |
| Oct | 103 |
| Nov | 150 |
| Dec | 225 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Hamilton receives about 4.1 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 1.8 and 6.7 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 5.9 months, from around Sep 26 to Mar 24. The brightest month is January, averaging about 6.4 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 1.9 kWh/m² — roughly 71% less than the January peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 6.6 | 5.4 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 5.8 | 6.0 |
| Level | Intense | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Dim | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.6 | Intense |
| Feb | 5.4 | Bright |
| Mar | 4.5 | Bright |
| Apr | 3.2 | Moderate |
| May | 2.3 | Moderate |
| Jun | 1.8 | Dim |
| Jul | 2.0 | Moderate |
| Aug | 2.7 | Moderate |
| Sep | 3.7 | Moderate |
| Oct | 4.8 | Bright |
| Nov | 5.8 | Bright |
| Dec | 6.0 | Intense |
Where is Hamilton?
Hamilton sits at 37.8°S, 175.3°E, 39 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Hamilton East, 1.0 km away.
Topography around Hamilton
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Hamilton.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Hamilton has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 59 m around an average of 39 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 166 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,023 m.
The land around Hamilton is covered by artificial surfaces (57%) and trees (23%) within 3 km, grassland (67%) within 16 km, and grassland (51%) and trees (26%) within 80 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
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 Hamilton (-37.7833°, 175.2833°, elevation 39 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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).