Rotorua weather in November

In November, Rotorua sees average daytime highs of 18°C and overnight lows near 9°C, with 93 mm of rain across 11.4 wet days and about 14.1 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 19°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in November, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 36 min at the start of November to 14 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, November is Rotorua's 10th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Rotorua's year-round climate.

Daytime high
18°
5th warmest
Overnight low
8th coldest
Rainfall
93 mm
11.4 wet days
Daylight
14 h 06 min
5:57 AM – 8:03 PM
Cloud cover
68%
10th clearest
Wind
13 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
5.81 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.4
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 November

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 17°C in the first days to 19°C by the end.

A typical November day in Rotorua reaches about 18°C in the afternoon and slips back to 9°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 15°C and 21°C. Set against its neighbours, November runs about 2°C warmer than October and about 2°C cooler than December.

10°15°20°25°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1178
2178
3178
4178
5178
6179
7179
8179
9179
10179
11179
12179
13179
14179
15189
16189
17189
18189
19189
20189
21189
22189
23189
24189
251810
261910
271910
281910
291910
301910

Rotorua weather by month

How November compares with the rest of the year at a glance. November is the 5th-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan22° / 13°8410.214.36.5
Feb22° / 13°818.913.56.6
Mar20° / 11°859.612.36.3
Apr17° / 1009.5115.5
May14° / 10110.3104.1
Jun12° / 10910.99.42.9
Jul11° / 11812.39.62.5
Aug12° / 11313.210.52.8
Sep14° / 1141311.73.5
Oct15° / 10312.7134.4
Nov18° / 9311.414.15.4
Dec20° / 11°1131314.65.7

Cloud cover in November

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in November.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of November, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 66%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13070
23070
33070
43070
53268
63268
73268
83367
93466
103367
113466
123466
133664
143664
153763
163763
173763
183763
193763
203664
213664
223664
233664
243763
253664
263664
273565
283565
293466
303565

Chance of precipitation in November

Any precipitation

Rotorua gets around 93 mm of rain over 11.4 wet days in November. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 38% and peaks near 41% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
141
241
341
441
541
640
740
840
939
1039
1138
1237
1337
1436
1536
1636
1735
1835
1936
2036
2136
2237
2337
2437
2538
2639
2739
2840
2940
3041

Humidity in November

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, November lands in the dry band about 91% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19640
29550
39550
49550
59550
69460
79460
89460
99460
109460
119460
129460
139460
149460
159460
169460
179370
189370
199280
209280
219190
2290100
2389110
2488120
2586131
2685141
2784151
2883161
2981181
3080182

Wind in November

Winds average 13 km/h in November.

Across November, daily wind ranges from about 12 km/h on the calmest days to 13 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
112light breeze
212light breeze
312light breeze
412light breeze
512light breeze
612light breeze
712light breeze
812light breeze
912light breeze
1013light breeze
1113light breeze
1213light breeze
1313light breeze
1413light breeze
1513light breeze
1613light breeze
1713light breeze
1813light breeze
1913light breeze
2013light breeze
2113light breeze
2213light breeze
2313light breeze
2413light breeze
2512light breeze
2612light breeze
2712light breeze
2812light breeze
2912light breeze
3012light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in November

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 36 min at the start of November to 14 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 48 minutes over November. Sunrise moves from 6:10 AM to 5:51 AM, and sunset from 7:47 PM to 8:18 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.66:107:47
213.76:097:48
313.76:087:49
413.76:077:50
513.86:067:51
613.86:057:52
713.86:047:54
813.96:037:55
913.96:027:56
1013.96:027:57
1114.06:017:58
1214.06:007:59
1314.05:598:00
1414.05:598:01
1514.15:588:02
1614.15:578:03
1714.15:578:04
1814.25:568:05
1914.25:558:07
2014.25:558:08
2114.25:548:09
2214.35:548:10
2314.35:538:11
2414.35:538:12
2514.35:538:13
2614.45:528:14
2714.45:528:15
2814.45:528:16
2914.45:518:17
3014.45:518:18

Solar energy in November

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in November, about 5.81 kWh/m².

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 — November's 5.81 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.4Bright
55.4Bright
65.5Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.6Bright
105.6Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.8Bright
145.8Bright
155.8Bright
165.9Bright
175.9Bright
185.9Bright
195.9Bright
206.0Bright
216.0Bright
226.0Bright
236.0Bright
246.0Bright
256.0Bright
266.0Bright
276.0Bright
286.0Bright
296.0Bright
306.0Bright
Planning a trip in November

Is November a good time to visit Rotorua?

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

5.4
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
1.6
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

November is a reasonable time to visit Rotorua for sightseeing.

What to pack for Rotorua in November

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

In November, Rotorua sees daytime highs around 18°C and nights near 9°C. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Rotorua in November

The nearest coast averages about 16°C in November — 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.

15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan20Cool
Feb21Refreshing
Mar20Refreshing
Apr19Cool
May18Cool
Jun16Cool
Jul15Bracing
Aug14Bracing
Sep14Bracing
Oct15Cool
Nov16Cool
Dec18Cool

UV index in Rotorua in November

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in November peaks around 11 (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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateModerateHighVery highExtremeDec 22UV 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 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.

Pukekohe EastNapier

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.

3 km
84 m
16 km
572 m
80 km
1,180 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
November weather nearby: Tauranga 51 km · Taupo 62 km · Whakatane 68 km · Cambridge 76 km · Hamilton East 92 km · Hamilton 93 km · Pukekohe East 155 km · Napier 161 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 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).