Wanaka weather in April

In April, Wanaka sees average daytime highs of 12°C and overnight lows near 4°C, with 89 mm of precipitation across 10.2 wet days and about 10.8 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 14°C in the first days to 11°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time in April, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 30 min at the start of April to 10 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, April is Wanaka's 3rd-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Wanaka's year-round climate.

Daytime high
12°
6th warmest
Overnight low
7th coldest
Precipitation
89 mm
10.2 wet days
Daylight
10 h 48 min
8:21 AM – 7:06 PM
Cloud cover
67%
3rd clearest
Wind
6 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
2.72 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.2
out of 10

Wanaka is ski and summer resort town in the Otago region of the South Island of New Zealand.

Density
461/km²
people per km²

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

Temperature in April

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 14°C in the first days to 11°C by the end.

A typical April day in Wanaka reaches about 12°C in the afternoon and slips back to 4°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 8°C and 15°C. Set against its neighbours, April runs about 3°C cooler than March and about 4°C warmer than May.

-5°10°15°20°151015202530
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1146
2146
3145
4145
5135
6135
7135
8135
9135
10135
11135
12135
13125
14124
15124
16124
17124
18124
19124
20124
21124
22124
23124
24114
25114
26114
27114
28114
29114
30114

How April really feels in Wanaka

Once humidity and wind are folded in, April averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

April sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Wanaka weather by month

How April compares with the rest of the year at a glance. April is the 6th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan17° / 11311.20.1155.4
Feb18° / 819.30.113.95.6
Mar15° / 9610.50.112.44.6
Apr12° / 8910.20.510.83.2
May / 10412.72.29.41.4
Jun / -1°8510.64.38.70.0
Jul / -3°799.7590.0
Aug / -1°7810.64.610.10.2
Sep / 11012.83.911.71.3
Oct11° / 118142.713.32.4
Nov13° / 11613.41.214.63.4
Dec16° / 12414.10.315.34.4

Cloud cover in April

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 20% of the time in April.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of April, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 64%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13961
24060
34060
44060
53862
63862
73763
83763
93862
103763
113763
123565
133664
143664
153664
163664
173664
183664
193664
203664
213664
223565
233466
243466
253466
263565
273565
283466
293565
303565

Chance of precipitation in April

Any precipitationSnow

Wanaka gets around 89 mm of rain and snow over 10.2 wet days in April. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 33% and peaks near 36% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202530
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1330
2340
3341
4341
5341
6341
7341
8341
9341
10341
11341
12331
13331
14322
15322
16322
17322
18322
19322
20322
21322
22332
23332
24332
25332
26332
27342
28343
29353
30363

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 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1991
2991
3991
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
161000
171000
181000
191000
201000
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000

Wind in April

Winds average 6 km/h in April.

Across April, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202530
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm

Sunrise & sunset in April

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 30 min at the start of April to 10 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 84 minutes over April. Sunrise moves from 8:02 AM to 8:39 AM, and sunset from 7:34 PM to 6:43 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.58:027:34
211.58:037:32
311.48:057:30
411.48:067:28
511.38:077:27
611.38:087:25
711.28:107:23
811.28:117:21
911.18:127:19
1011.18:137:17
1111.08:157:15
1211.08:167:13
1310.98:177:12
1410.98:187:10
1510.88:207:08
1610.88:217:06
1710.78:227:04
1810.78:247:03
1910.68:257:01
2010.68:266:59
2110.58:276:57
2210.58:296:56
2310.48:306:54
2410.48:316:52
2510.38:326:51
2610.38:346:49
2710.28:356:48
2810.28:366:46
2910.18:376:44
3010.18:396:43

Solar energy in April

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in April, about 2.72 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.21 kWh/m² to a high of 6.66 kWh/m² in January across the year — April's 2.72 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.4Moderate
23.4Moderate
33.3Moderate
43.3Moderate
53.2Moderate
63.2Moderate
73.1Moderate
83.1Moderate
93.0Moderate
103.0Moderate
112.9Moderate
122.9Moderate
132.8Moderate
142.8Moderate
152.7Moderate
162.7Moderate
172.6Moderate
182.6Moderate
192.5Moderate
202.5Moderate
212.5Moderate
222.4Moderate
232.4Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.2Moderate
272.2Moderate
282.2Moderate
292.1Moderate
302.1Moderate
Planning a trip in April

Is April a good time to visit Wanaka?

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

3.2
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

April is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Wanaka.

What to pack for Wanaka in April

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

In April, Wanaka sees daytime highs around 12°C and nights near 4°C. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

UV index in Wanaka in April

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in April peaks around 3 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Wanaka peaks around January 15 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 16 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateLowModerateHighVery highJan 15UV 11Jun 16UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb9Very high
Mar6High
Apr3Moderate
May2Low
Jun1Low
Jul2Low
Aug2Moderate
Sep5Moderate
Oct6High
Nov8Very high
Dec10Very high
Location & terrain

Where is Wanaka?

Wanaka sits at 44.7°S, 169.2°E, 0 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Queenstown, 53 km away.

TekapoFranz JosefDunedinTimaruInvercargillAshburtonRolleston

Topography around Wanaka

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Wanaka has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 258 m around an average of 325 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,573 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,837 m.

The land around Wanaka is covered by grassland (49%) and trees (23%) within 3 km, grassland (64%) within 16 km, and grassland (68%) and trees (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
258 m
16 km
1,573 m
80 km
2,837 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewater
April weather nearby: Queenstown 53 km · Tekapo 131 km · Franz Josef 167 km · Dunedin 168 km · Timaru 170 km · Invercargill 199 km · Ashburton 224 km · Rolleston 286 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 Wanaka (-44.7°, 169.15°, elevation 0 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. 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).