New Plymouth weather in April

In April, New Plymouth sees average daytime highs of 17°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 154 mm of rain across 12.5 wet days and about 11 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 17°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in April, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of April to 10 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, April is New Plymouth's 4th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see New Plymouth's year-round climate.

Daytime high
17°
5th warmest
Overnight low
14°
8th coldest
Rainfall
154 mm
12.5 wet days
Daylight
11 hours
7:55 AM – 6:53 PM
Cloud cover
57%
4th clearest
Wind
20 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
3.37 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.2
out of 10

New Plymouth is city of New Zealand in Taranaki Region.

Density
39/km²
people per km²
Founded
1841

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

Temperature in April

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 17°C through the month.

A typical April day in New Plymouth reaches about 17°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 15°C and 19°C. Set against its neighbours, April runs about 2°C cooler than March and about 2°C warmer than May.

10°13°15°18°20°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11815
21815
31815
41815
51815
61815
71715
81715
91715
101714
111714
121714
131714
141714
151714
161714
171714
181714
191714
201714
211714
221714
231714
241714
251614
261614
271614
281614
291614
301614

New Plymouth weather by month

How April compares with the rest of the year at a glance. April is the 5th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan19° / 16°10510.114.46.1
Feb20° / 17°1038.913.56.3
Mar19° / 16°10910.612.36.1
Apr17° / 14°15412.5115.2
May15° / 13°18314.19.94.3
Jun13° / 11°18514.69.33.4
Jul13° / 10°18916.29.53.0
Aug12° / 10°17716.210.53.0
Sep13° / 11°17315.611.73.2
Oct14° / 12°17114.9133.7
Nov15° / 13°13412.314.14.5
Dec17° / 15°16013.314.75.2

Cloud cover in April

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in April.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of April, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 48%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15248
25248
35248
45248
55248
65248
75248
85347
95347
105347
115347
125347
135446
145446
155347
165347
175347
185347
195248
205248
215248
225149
235149
245248
255149
265149
275149
285149
295149
305149

Chance of precipitation in April

Any precipitation

New Plymouth gets around 154 mm of rain over 12.5 wet days in April. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 41% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
142
242
343
443
543
643
743
843
943
1043
1143
1242
1342
1441
1541
1640
1740
1840
1940
2040
2140
2240
2340
2440
2540
2640
2741
2841
2941
3041

Humidity in April

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, April lands in the dry band about 67% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
1513316
2533116
3553015
4572914
5582913
6592813
7612712
8632611
9642610
10652510
1166259
1267249
1368248
1469238
1569238
1671227
1771227
1871227
1971227
2071227
2172226
2272226
2372226
2472226
2572226
2673225
2773225
2873225
2973225
3073225

Wind in April

Winds average 20 km/h in April.

Across April, daily wind ranges from about 19 km/h on the calmest days to 20 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
119light breeze
219light breeze
319light breeze
419light breeze
519light breeze
619light breeze
719light breeze
819light breeze
920light breeze
1020light breeze
1120light breeze
1220light breeze
1320light breeze
1419light breeze
1519light breeze
1619light breeze
1719light breeze
1820light breeze
1920light breeze
2020light breeze
2120light breeze
2220light breeze
2320light breeze
2420light breeze
2520light breeze
2620light breeze
2720breezy
2820breezy
2920breezy
3020breezy

Sunrise & sunset in April

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of April to 10 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 72 minutes over April. Sunrise moves from 7:40 AM to 8:08 AM, and sunset from 7:17 PM to 6:34 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.67:407:17
211.67:417:15
311.57:427:14
411.57:437:12
511.47:447:10
611.47:457:09
711.47:467:07
811.37:477:06
911.37:487:04
1011.27:497:02
1111.27:507:01
1211.17:516:59
1311.17:526:58
1411.17:536:56
1511.07:546:55
1611.07:556:53
1710.97:556:52
1810.97:566:50
1910.97:576:49
2010.87:586:47
2110.87:596:46
2210.78:006:44
2310.78:016:43
2410.78:026:42
2510.68:036:40
2610.68:046:39
2710.58:056:38
2810.58:066:36
2910.58:076:35
3010.48:086:34

Solar energy in April

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in April, about 3.37 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.8 kWh/m² to a high of 7.39 kWh/m² in January across the year — April's 3.37 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.1Bright
24.0Bright
34.0Moderate
43.9Moderate
53.9Moderate
63.8Moderate
73.8Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.6Moderate
113.6Moderate
123.5Moderate
133.5Moderate
143.5Moderate
153.4Moderate
163.4Moderate
173.3Moderate
183.3Moderate
193.2Moderate
203.2Moderate
213.1Moderate
223.1Moderate
233.0Moderate
243.0Moderate
253.0Moderate
262.9Moderate
272.9Moderate
282.9Moderate
292.8Moderate
302.8Moderate
Planning a trip in April

Is April a good time to visit New Plymouth?

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

5.2
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
1.2
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

April is a reasonable time to visit New Plymouth for sightseeing.

What to pack for New Plymouth in April

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

In April, New Plymouth sees daytime highs around 17°C and nights near 14°C. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near New Plymouth in April

The nearest coast averages about 18°C in April — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 19 km away) is warmest in February at about 20°C and coldest in August near 14°C.

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

12°14°16°18°20°22°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan19Cool
Feb20Cool
Mar19Cool
Apr18Cool
May17Cool
Jun15Cool
Jul14Bracing
Aug14Bracing
Sep14Bracing
Oct14Bracing
Nov16Cool
Dec17Cool

UV index in New Plymouth in April

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in April peaks around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in New Plymouth peaks around January 12 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeHighModerateLowModerateHighVery highExtremeJan 12UV 12Jun 17UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar7High
Apr5Moderate
May2Moderate
Jun2Low
Jul2Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep4Moderate
Oct7High
Nov10Very high
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is New Plymouth?

New Plymouth sits at 39.1°S, 174.1°E, 64 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Whanganui, 127 km away.

WhanganuiHamilton EastHamiltonCambridgeTaupoPalmerston NorthLevinRotorua

Topography around New Plymouth

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around New Plymouth has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 106 m around an average of 43 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 665 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,459 m.

The land around New Plymouth is covered by trees (33%), artificial surfaces (29%) and grassland (21%) within 3 km, water (43%) and grassland (38%) within 16 km, and water (45%), trees (28%) and grassland (26%) within 80 km.

3 km
106 m
16 km
665 m
80 km
2,459 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
April weather nearby: Whanganui 127 km · Hamilton East 177 km · Hamilton 177 km · Cambridge 177 km · Taupo 178 km · Palmerston North 194 km · Levin 202 km · Rotorua 214 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 New Plymouth (-39.0667°, 174.0833°, elevation 64 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).