New Plymouth weather in March

In March, New Plymouth sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 109 mm of rain across 10.6 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 19°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 hours at the start of March to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is New Plymouth's 1st-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see New Plymouth's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
3rd warmest
Overnight low
16°
10th coldest
Rainfall
109 mm
10.6 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
7:24 AM – 7:43 PM
Cloud cover
54%
1st clearest
Wind
19 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
4.9 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.1
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 March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 19°C through the month.

A typical March day in New Plymouth reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°C and 20°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 1°C cooler than February and about 2°C warmer than April.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11916
21916
31916
41916
51916
61916
71916
81916
91916
101916
111916
121916
131916
141916
151916
161916
171916
181916
191916
201816
211816
221816
231816
241816
251816
261816
271816
281815
291815
301815
311815

New Plymouth 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
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 March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in March, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 45%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15644
25644
35644
45644
55644
65644
75644
85644
95644
105743
115842
125842
135842
145842
155743
165743
175743
185644
195644
205644
215545
225545
235446
245446
255347
265347
275347
285248
295248
305248
315149

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitation

New Plymouth gets around 109 mm of rain over 10.6 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 34% and peaks near 41% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
130
230
330
430
530
631
731
831
931
1031
1131
1231
1331
1431
1532
1632
1732
1833
1933
2034
2135
2235
2336
2437
2537
2638
2739
2840
2940
3041
3141

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 42% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13537262
23637252
33737241
43837231
53937231
64036221
74137211
84237201
94237201
104237191
114238181
124238181
134239181
144239171
154240171
164240171
174140171
184141181
194141181
204140181
214140190
224140190
234139190
244139190
254238200
264338190
274437190
284536190
294635180
304834180
314934170

Wind in March

Winds average 19 km/h in March.

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

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
119light breeze
219light breeze
319light breeze
419light breeze
519light breeze
619light breeze
719light breeze
819light breeze
919light breeze
1019light breeze
1119light breeze
1219light breeze
1319light breeze
1419light breeze
1519light breeze
1619light breeze
1719light breeze
1819light breeze
1919light breeze
2019light breeze
2119light breeze
2219light breeze
2319light breeze
2419light breeze
2519light breeze
2619light breeze
2719light breeze
2819light breeze
2919light breeze
3019light breeze
3119light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 hours 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 78 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 7:08 AM to 7:39 AM, and sunset from 8:06 PM to 7:19 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.07:088:06
212.97:098:04
312.97:108:03
412.87:118:01
512.87:128:00
612.77:137:58
712.77:157:57
812.77:167:55
912.67:177:54
1012.67:187:52
1112.57:197:51
1212.57:207:49
1312.47:217:48
1412.47:227:46
1512.47:237:44
1612.37:247:43
1712.37:257:41
1812.27:267:40
1912.27:277:38
2012.17:287:36
2112.17:297:35
2212.17:307:33
2312.07:317:32
2412.07:327:30
2511.97:337:28
2611.97:347:27
2711.87:357:25
2811.87:367:23
2911.77:377:22
3011.77:387:20
3111.77:397:19

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 4.9 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 — March's 4.9 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.6Bright
25.6Bright
35.5Bright
45.5Bright
55.4Bright
65.4Bright
75.4Bright
85.3Bright
95.3Bright
105.2Bright
115.2Bright
125.1Bright
135.1Bright
145.0Bright
155.0Bright
164.9Bright
174.9Bright
184.8Bright
194.8Bright
204.7Bright
214.7Bright
224.6Bright
234.5Bright
244.5Bright
254.4Bright
264.4Bright
274.3Bright
284.3Bright
294.2Bright
304.2Bright
314.1Bright
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit New Plymouth?

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

6.1
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
2.4
Beach & pool
3rd-best month of the year

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

What to pack for New Plymouth in March

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

In March, New Plymouth sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 16°C. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near New Plymouth in March

The nearest coast averages about 19°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 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 March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 7 — 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
March 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).