Tauranga weather in December

In December, Tauranga sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 112 mm of rain across 11.9 wet days and about 14.6 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 21°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 24 min at the start of December to 14 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Tauranga's 12th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Tauranga's year-round climate.

Daytime high
21°
4th warmest
Overnight low
14°
9th coldest
Rainfall
112 mm
11.9 wet days
Daylight
14 h 36 min
5:54 AM – 8:29 PM
Cloud cover
64%
12th clearest
Wind
15 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
6.54 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.1
out of 10

Tauranga is city in New Zealand's North Island.

Air quality
Excellent
PM10 12.2 µg/m³ · 2012
Density
958/km²
people per km²
Founded
1882

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

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 21°C through the month.

A typical December day in Tauranga reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°C and 23°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 2°C warmer than November and about 2°C cooler than January.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12013
22013
32013
42014
52014
62014
72014
82014
92014
102014
112014
122014
132014
142014
152114
162114
172114
182114
192114
202114
212115
222115
232115
242115
252115
262115
272115
282115
292115
302115
312115

Tauranga weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 4th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan22° / 16°859.514.36.8
Feb22° / 16°948.413.56.8
Mar21° / 15°969.212.36.7
Apr19° / 13°1179.611.16.1
May16° / 11°1139.9105.2
Jun14° / 12910.79.44.1
Jul13° / 13411.69.73.6
Aug14° / 11712.510.53.8
Sep15° / 1121211.74.4
Oct17° / 10°9712.2135.1
Nov19° / 12°8910.4145.8
Dec21° / 14°11211.914.66.1

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 23% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 56%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14357
24456
34456
44456
54357
64456
74456
84456
94555
104555
114555
124654
134555
144555
154555
164555
174456
184456
194456
204456
214456
224456
234456
244456
254555
264555
274654
284654
294654
304753
314753

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Tauranga gets around 112 mm of rain over 11.9 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 37% and peaks near 38% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
138
238
338
438
538
638
738
838
938
1038
1138
1238
1338
1438
1538
1638
1738
1838
1938
2038
2138
2237
2337
2437
2536
2636
2735
2834
2934
3033
3132

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 47% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
15730130
25630140
35530150
45430160
55330170
65230180
75130190
85130190
95030201
104930201
114929211
124929211
134829211
144830211
154830211
164730212
174731212
184631212
194631212
204532212
214532212
224433212
234433212
244333213
254333213
264233213
274233223
284233223
294134223
304134223
314034233

Wind in December

Winds average 15 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 15 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1315light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1615light breeze
1715light breeze
1815light breeze
1915light breeze
2015light breeze
2115light breeze
2215light breeze
2315light breeze
2415light breeze
2515light breeze
2615light breeze
2715light breeze
2815light breeze
2915light breeze
3015light breeze
3115light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

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

Days grow by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:53 AM to 6:01 AM, and sunset from 8:18 PM to 8:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.45:538:18
214.45:528:18
314.45:528:19
414.55:528:20
514.55:528:21
614.55:528:22
714.55:528:23
814.55:528:24
914.55:528:24
1014.55:528:25
1114.65:538:26
1214.65:538:27
1314.65:538:27
1414.65:538:28
1514.65:538:29
1614.65:548:29
1714.65:548:30
1814.65:548:30
1914.65:558:31
2014.65:558:32
2114.65:568:32
2214.65:568:33
2314.65:578:33
2414.65:578:33
2514.65:588:34
2614.65:588:34
2714.65:598:35
2814.65:598:35
2914.66:008:35
3014.66:018:35
3114.66:018:36

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.54 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.94 kWh/m² to a high of 7.05 kWh/m² in January across the year — December's 6.54 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.4Intense
26.4Intense
36.4Intense
46.5Intense
56.5Intense
66.5Intense
76.5Intense
86.5Intense
96.5Intense
106.5Intense
116.5Intense
126.6Intense
136.6Intense
146.6Intense
156.6Intense
166.6Intense
176.7Intense
186.7Intense
196.7Intense
206.7Intense
216.8Intense
226.8Intense
236.9Intense
246.9Intense
257.0Intense
267.0Intense
277.1Intense
287.2Intense
297.2Intense
307.3Intense
317.3Intense
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Tauranga

In seasonPeak

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

Tauranga 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 December a good time to visit Tauranga?

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

6.1
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
3.5
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

December is a reasonable time to visit Tauranga for sightseeing.

What to pack for Tauranga in December

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

In December, Tauranga sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 14°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 12 days see rain.

sun protectionrain gear

Sea temperature near Tauranga in December

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

The sea offshore is warmest in February at about 21°C and coldest in August near 15°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jan 22 to Mar 26 — 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
Jul15Cool
Aug15Bracing
Sep15Bracing
Oct15Cool
Nov16Cool
Dec18Cool

UV index in Tauranga in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December 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 Tauranga peaks around January 1 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 1UV 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 Tauranga?

Tauranga sits at 37.7°S, 176.2°E, 18 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Rotorua, 51 km away.

TaupoPukekohe EastPapakura

Topography around Tauranga

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Tauranga has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 57 m around an average of 9 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 595 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,130 m.

The land around Tauranga is covered by water (43%) and artificial surfaces (28%) within 3 km, water (41%), trees (26%) and grassland (25%) within 16 km, and water (35%), grassland (34%) and trees (27%) within 80 km.

3 km
57 m
16 km
595 m
80 km
1,130 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
December weather nearby: Rotorua 51 km · Cambridge 67 km · Hamilton East 78 km · Whakatane 78 km · Hamilton 78 km · Taupo 111 km · Pukekohe East 120 km · Papakura 128 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 Tauranga (-37.6861°, 176.1667°, elevation 18 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).