Rotorua weather in January
In January, Rotorua sees average daytime highs of 22°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 84 mm of rain across 10.2 wet days and about 14.3 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.
Daylight stretches from about 14 h 36 min at the start of January to 14 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Rotorua's 5th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rotorua's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 22°
- 2nd warmest
- Overnight low
- 13°
- 11th coldest
- Rainfall
- 84 mm
- 10.2 wet days
- Daylight
- 14 h 24 min
- 6:13 AM – 8:36 PM
- Cloud cover
- 62%
- 5th clearest
- Wind
- 11 km/h
- 8th windiest
- Solar energy
- 6.59 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 6.5
- out of 10
Rotorua is city in Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.
- Air quality
- Good
- PM10 18.2 µg/m³ · 2012
- Density
- 25/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1883
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in January
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 22°C through the month.
A typical January day in Rotorua 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 18°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°C warmer than December and on par with February.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| Avg low (°C) | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 | 12 |
| 2 | 21 | 12 |
| 3 | 21 | 12 |
| 4 | 21 | 12 |
| 5 | 21 | 12 |
| 6 | 21 | 12 |
| 7 | 21 | 12 |
| 8 | 21 | 12 |
| 9 | 22 | 12 |
| 10 | 22 | 12 |
| 11 | 22 | 12 |
| 12 | 22 | 12 |
| 13 | 22 | 13 |
| 14 | 22 | 13 |
| 15 | 22 | 13 |
| 16 | 22 | 13 |
| 17 | 22 | 13 |
| 18 | 22 | 13 |
| 19 | 22 | 13 |
| 20 | 22 | 13 |
| 21 | 22 | 13 |
| 22 | 22 | 13 |
| 23 | 22 | 13 |
| 24 | 22 | 13 |
| 25 | 22 | 13 |
| 26 | 22 | 13 |
| 27 | 22 | 13 |
| 28 | 22 | 13 |
| 29 | 22 | 13 |
| 30 | 22 | 13 |
| 31 | 22 | 13 |
Rotorua weather by month
How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 2nd-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22° / 13° | 84 | 10.2 | 14.3 | 6.5 |
| Feb | 22° / 13° | 81 | 8.9 | 13.5 | 6.6 |
| Mar | 20° / 11° | 85 | 9.6 | 12.3 | 6.3 |
| Apr | 17° / 9° | 100 | 9.5 | 11 | 5.5 |
| May | 14° / 7° | 101 | 10.3 | 10 | 4.1 |
| Jun | 12° / 5° | 109 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 2.9 |
| Jul | 11° / 4° | 118 | 12.3 | 9.6 | 2.5 |
| Aug | 12° / 5° | 113 | 13.2 | 10.5 | 2.8 |
| Sep | 14° / 6° | 114 | 13 | 11.7 | 3.5 |
| Oct | 15° / 7° | 103 | 12.7 | 13 | 4.4 |
| Nov | 18° / 9° | 93 | 11.4 | 14.1 | 5.4 |
| Dec | 20° / 11° | 113 | 13 | 14.6 | 5.7 |
Cloud cover in January
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in January.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 59%.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 40 |
| Cloudier (%) | 62 | 61 | 60 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 61 | 60 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 60 | 60 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 60 | 60 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 38 | 62 |
| 2 | 39 | 61 |
| 3 | 40 | 60 |
| 4 | 41 | 59 |
| 5 | 41 | 59 |
| 6 | 41 | 59 |
| 7 | 42 | 58 |
| 8 | 42 | 58 |
| 9 | 42 | 58 |
| 10 | 43 | 57 |
| 11 | 42 | 58 |
| 12 | 42 | 58 |
| 13 | 42 | 58 |
| 14 | 40 | 60 |
| 15 | 40 | 60 |
| 16 | 40 | 60 |
| 17 | 40 | 60 |
| 18 | 40 | 60 |
| 19 | 39 | 61 |
| 20 | 40 | 60 |
| 21 | 40 | 60 |
| 22 | 39 | 61 |
| 23 | 39 | 61 |
| 24 | 40 | 60 |
| 25 | 40 | 60 |
| 26 | 39 | 61 |
| 27 | 39 | 61 |
| 28 | 39 | 61 |
| 29 | 39 | 61 |
| 30 | 40 | 60 |
| 31 | 40 | 60 |
Chance of precipitation in January
Rotorua gets around 84 mm of rain over 10.2 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 33% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 37 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 37 |
| 2 | 36 |
| 3 | 36 |
| 4 | 35 |
| 5 | 35 |
| 6 | 35 |
| 7 | 35 |
| 8 | 34 |
| 9 | 34 |
| 10 | 34 |
| 11 | 34 |
| 12 | 34 |
| 13 | 34 |
| 14 | 34 |
| 15 | 34 |
| 16 | 34 |
| 17 | 33 |
| 18 | 33 |
| 19 | 33 |
| 20 | 32 |
| 21 | 32 |
| 22 | 32 |
| 23 | 32 |
| 24 | 31 |
| 25 | 31 |
| 26 | 31 |
| 27 | 31 |
| 28 | 31 |
| 29 | 30 |
| 30 | 30 |
| 31 | 31 |
Humidity in January
Most of January feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, January lands in the dry band about 55% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 62 | 62 | 61 | 60 | 60 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 58 | 58 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 55 | 54 | 54 | 52 | 51 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 49 | 49 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 48 |
| Comfortable (%) | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 |
| Humid (%) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 62 | 29 | 9 | 0 |
| 2 | 62 | 29 | 9 | 0 |
| 3 | 61 | 30 | 9 | 0 |
| 4 | 60 | 30 | 10 | 0 |
| 5 | 60 | 30 | 10 | 0 |
| 6 | 59 | 31 | 10 | 0 |
| 7 | 59 | 31 | 10 | 0 |
| 8 | 59 | 31 | 10 | 0 |
| 9 | 59 | 31 | 10 | 0 |
| 10 | 59 | 31 | 10 | 0 |
| 11 | 58 | 31 | 10 | 1 |
| 12 | 58 | 31 | 10 | 1 |
| 13 | 56 | 32 | 11 | 1 |
| 14 | 56 | 32 | 11 | 1 |
| 15 | 56 | 32 | 11 | 1 |
| 16 | 56 | 32 | 11 | 1 |
| 17 | 55 | 32 | 12 | 1 |
| 18 | 54 | 33 | 12 | 1 |
| 19 | 54 | 33 | 12 | 1 |
| 20 | 52 | 33 | 13 | 2 |
| 21 | 51 | 33 | 14 | 2 |
| 22 | 51 | 33 | 14 | 2 |
| 23 | 50 | 33 | 15 | 2 |
| 24 | 50 | 33 | 15 | 2 |
| 25 | 49 | 33 | 16 | 2 |
| 26 | 49 | 33 | 16 | 2 |
| 27 | 48 | 33 | 17 | 2 |
| 28 | 48 | 33 | 17 | 2 |
| 29 | 48 | 33 | 17 | 2 |
| 30 | 48 | 33 | 17 | 2 |
| 31 | 48 | 33 | 17 | 3 |
Wind in January
Winds average 11 km/h in January.
Across January, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | calm |
| 2 | 11 | calm |
| 3 | 11 | calm |
| 4 | 11 | calm |
| 5 | 11 | calm |
| 6 | 11 | calm |
| 7 | 11 | calm |
| 8 | 11 | calm |
| 9 | 11 | calm |
| 10 | 11 | calm |
| 11 | 11 | calm |
| 12 | 11 | calm |
| 13 | 11 | calm |
| 14 | 11 | calm |
| 15 | 11 | calm |
| 16 | 11 | calm |
| 17 | 11 | calm |
| 18 | 11 | calm |
| 19 | 11 | calm |
| 20 | 11 | calm |
| 21 | 11 | calm |
| 22 | 11 | calm |
| 23 | 11 | calm |
| 24 | 11 | calm |
| 25 | 11 | calm |
| 26 | 11 | calm |
| 27 | 11 | calm |
| 28 | 11 | calm |
| 29 | 11 | calm |
| 30 | 11 | calm |
| 31 | 11 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in January
Daylight runs from about 14 h 36 min at the start of January to 14 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days shrink by about 36 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:00 AM to 6:29 AM, and sunset from 8:36 PM to 8:28 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:00 | 6:01 | 6:01 | 6:02 | 6:03 | 6:04 | 6:05 | 6:06 | 6:06 | 6:07 | 6:08 | 6:09 | 6:10 | 6:11 | 6:12 | 6:13 | 6:14 | 6:15 | 6:16 | 6:17 | 6:18 | 6:19 | 6:20 | 6:21 | 6:22 | 6:23 | 6:24 | 6:26 | 6:27 | 6:28 | 6:29 |
| Sunset (PM) | 8:36 | 8:37 | 8:37 | 8:37 | 8:37 | 8:37 | 8:37 | 8:37 | 8:37 | 8:37 | 8:37 | 8:37 | 8:36 | 8:36 | 8:36 | 8:36 | 8:35 | 8:35 | 8:35 | 8:34 | 8:34 | 8:33 | 8:33 | 8:32 | 8:32 | 8:31 | 8:31 | 8:30 | 8:29 | 8:29 | 8:28 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14.6 | 6:00 | 8:36 |
| 2 | 14.6 | 6:01 | 8:37 |
| 3 | 14.6 | 6:01 | 8:37 |
| 4 | 14.6 | 6:02 | 8:37 |
| 5 | 14.6 | 6:03 | 8:37 |
| 6 | 14.6 | 6:04 | 8:37 |
| 7 | 14.5 | 6:05 | 8:37 |
| 8 | 14.5 | 6:06 | 8:37 |
| 9 | 14.5 | 6:06 | 8:37 |
| 10 | 14.5 | 6:07 | 8:37 |
| 11 | 14.5 | 6:08 | 8:37 |
| 12 | 14.5 | 6:09 | 8:37 |
| 13 | 14.4 | 6:10 | 8:36 |
| 14 | 14.4 | 6:11 | 8:36 |
| 15 | 14.4 | 6:12 | 8:36 |
| 16 | 14.4 | 6:13 | 8:36 |
| 17 | 14.4 | 6:14 | 8:35 |
| 18 | 14.3 | 6:15 | 8:35 |
| 19 | 14.3 | 6:16 | 8:35 |
| 20 | 14.3 | 6:17 | 8:34 |
| 21 | 14.3 | 6:18 | 8:34 |
| 22 | 14.2 | 6:19 | 8:33 |
| 23 | 14.2 | 6:20 | 8:33 |
| 24 | 14.2 | 6:21 | 8:32 |
| 25 | 14.2 | 6:22 | 8:32 |
| 26 | 14.1 | 6:23 | 8:31 |
| 27 | 14.1 | 6:24 | 8:31 |
| 28 | 14.1 | 6:26 | 8:30 |
| 29 | 14.0 | 6:27 | 8:29 |
| 30 | 14.0 | 6:28 | 8:29 |
| 31 | 14.0 | 6:29 | 8:28 |
Solar energy in January
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.59 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.79 kWh/m² to a high of 6.59 kWh/m² in January across the year — January's 6.59 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 2 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 3 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.3 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.2 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.1 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.0 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.0 | Bright |
| 31 | 6.0 | Bright |
Is January a good time to visit Rotorua?
Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
January is a reasonable time to visit Rotorua for sightseeing.
What to pack for Rotorua in January
From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In January, Rotorua sees daytime highs around 22°C and nights near 13°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 10 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Rotorua in January
The nearest coast averages about 20°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 44 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 22 to Mar 25 — about 2.1 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 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 18 |
| Comfort | Cool | Refreshing | Refreshing | Cool | Cool | Cool | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Cool | Cool | Cool |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | Cool |
| Feb | 21 | Refreshing |
| Mar | 20 | Refreshing |
| Apr | 19 | Cool |
| May | 18 | Cool |
| Jun | 16 | Cool |
| Jul | 15 | Bracing |
| Aug | 14 | Bracing |
| Sep | 14 | Bracing |
| Oct | 15 | Cool |
| Nov | 16 | Cool |
| Dec | 18 | Cool |
UV index in Rotorua in January
Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Rotorua peaks around December 22 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 |
Where is Rotorua?
Rotorua sits at 38.1°S, 176.2°E, 287 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Tauranga, 51 km away.
Topography around Rotorua
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Rotorua.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Rotorua has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 84 m around an average of 292 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 572 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,180 m.
The land around Rotorua is covered by artificial surfaces (36%), trees (22%) and water (22%) within 3 km, trees (46%) and grassland (37%) within 16 km, and trees (44%) and grassland (36%) 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 Rotorua (-38.1387°, 176.2452°, elevation 287 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).