Hamilton weather in March

In March, Hamilton sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 72 mm of rain across 7.8 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 21°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 54 min at the start of March to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Hamilton's 2nd-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Hamilton's year-round climate.

Daytime high
22°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
13°
9th coldest
Rainfall
72 mm
7.8 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
7:19 AM – 7:38 PM
Cloud cover
61%
2nd clearest
Wind
12 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
4.45 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.0
out of 10

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.

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 23°C in the first days to 21°C by the end.

A typical March day in Hamilton reaches about 22°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 2°C cooler than February and about 3°C warmer than April.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12314
22314
32314
42314
52314
62314
72314
82314
92314
102313
112213
122213
132213
142213
152213
162213
172213
182213
192213
202213
212213
222213
232213
242213
252213
262213
272213
282113
292112
302112
312112

Hamilton weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 3rd-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan23° / 15°718.814.36.9
Feb24° / 15°707.913.57.1
Mar22° / 13°727.812.37.0
Apr19° / 11°919.411.16.2
May17° / 10711.6105.2
Jun14° / 11412.39.44.0
Jul14° / 12813.59.73.6
Aug14° / 12214.810.53.8
Sep16° / 11413.911.74.3
Oct17° / 10°10012.7135.1
Nov19° / 11°8811.1145.7
Dec21° / 13°991114.66.2

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 25% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 52%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
24951
34951
44852
54951
64951
74951
85050
94951
104951
115050
125050
134951
144951
154951
164951
174951
184951
194852
204753
214753
224654
234654
244555
254555
264555
274555
284555
294456
304456
314456

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

Hamilton gets around 72 mm of rain over 7.8 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 25% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
124
224
323
423
523
623
722
822
922
1022
1123
1223
1323
1423
1524
1624
1725
1825
1926
2026
2126
2227
2327
2428
2528
2629
2729
2830
2930
3030
3131

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, March lands in the dry band about 45% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13738215
23837205
33937195
44137184
54237174
64337164
74437154
84537154
94537144
104637134
114737133
124738123
134738123
144738122
154739122
164739122
174739122
184740122
194640131
204640131
214639141
224639141
234638151
244638151
254637161
264637161
274736171
284835171
294934171
305032171
315131171

Wind in March

Winds average 12 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 12 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
112light breeze
212light breeze
312light breeze
412light breeze
512light breeze
612light breeze
712light breeze
812light breeze
912light breeze
1012light breeze
1112light breeze
1212light breeze
1312light breeze
1412light breeze
1512light breeze
1612light breeze
1712light breeze
1812calm
1912calm
2012calm
2112calm
2212calm
2312calm
2412calm
2512calm
2612calm
2712calm
2812calm
2912calm
3012calm
3112calm

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 54 min at the start of March to 11 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 72 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 7:05 AM to 7:34 AM, and sunset from 8:00 PM to 7:14 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.97:058:00
212.97:067:58
312.87:077:57
412.87:087:55
512.87:097:54
612.77:107:53
712.77:117:51
812.67:127:50
912.67:137:48
1012.57:147:47
1112.57:157:45
1212.57:167:44
1312.47:177:42
1412.47:187:41
1512.37:197:39
1612.37:197:38
1712.37:207:36
1812.27:217:34
1912.27:227:33
2012.17:237:31
2112.17:247:30
2212.17:257:28
2312.07:267:27
2412.07:277:25
2511.97:287:24
2611.97:297:22
2711.87:307:20
2811.87:317:19
2911.87:327:17
3011.77:337:16
3111.77:347:14

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 4.45 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.84 kWh/m² to a high of 6.61 kWh/m² in January across the year — March's 4.45 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.0Bright
25.0Bright
35.0Bright
45.0Bright
54.9Bright
64.9Bright
74.8Bright
84.8Bright
94.8Bright
104.7Bright
114.7Bright
124.6Bright
134.6Bright
144.6Bright
154.5Bright
164.5Bright
174.4Bright
184.4Bright
194.3Bright
204.3Bright
214.2Bright
224.2Bright
234.1Bright
244.1Bright
254.0Bright
264.0Bright
274.0Moderate
283.9Moderate
293.9Moderate
303.8Moderate
313.8Moderate
Planning a trip in March

Hazard calendar for Hamilton

In seasonPeak

In March, Hamilton sits inside its cyclone season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Hamilton sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.

Cyclone
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is March a good time to visit Hamilton?

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

7.0
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
4.9
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

March is one of the better times to visit Hamilton for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Hamilton in March

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

In March, Hamilton sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 8 days see rain.

light clothes

Sea temperature near Hamilton in March

The nearest coast averages about 20°C in March — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

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.

15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan20Refreshing
Feb21Refreshing
Mar20Refreshing
Apr19Cool
May17Cool
Jun15Cool
Jul14Bracing
Aug14Bracing
Sep14Bracing
Oct15Cool
Nov17Cool
Dec19Cool

UV index in Hamilton in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 8 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateModerateVery highExtremeJan 12UV 12Jun 18UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar8Very high
Apr5High
May3Moderate
Jun2Low
Jul2Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep5Moderate
Oct7Very high
Nov11Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

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.

3 km
59 m
16 km
166 m
80 km
1,023 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
March weather nearby: Hamilton East 1.0 km · Cambridge 17 km · Pukekohe East 71 km · Tauranga 78 km · Papakura 85 km · Takanini 88 km · Manurewa 92 km · Rotorua 93 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 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).