Wellington weather in January
In January, Wellington sees average daytime highs of 17°C and overnight lows near 15°C, with 55 mm of rain across 7.5 wet days and about 14.6 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 17°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.
Daylight stretches from about 14 h 54 min at the start of January to 14 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Wellington's 3rd-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Wellington's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 17°
- 2nd warmest
- Overnight low
- 15°
- 11th coldest
- Rainfall
- 55 mm
- 7.5 wet days
- Daylight
- 14 h 42 min
- 6:10 AM – 8:50 PM
- Cloud cover
- 52%
- 3rd clearest
- Wind
- 26 km/h
- 6th windiest
- Solar energy
- 7.3 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 5.9
- out of 10
Wellington is capital city of New Zealand; urban area of the cities of Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, and Porirua.
- Air quality
- Excellent
- PM10 12.9 µg/m³ · 2012
- Density
- 860/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1839
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in January
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 17°C through the month.
A typical January day in Wellington reaches about 17°C in the afternoon and slips back to 15°C overnight — a 2°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 15°C and 19°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°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) | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| Avg low (°C) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | 14 |
| 2 | 17 | 14 |
| 3 | 17 | 14 |
| 4 | 17 | 14 |
| 5 | 17 | 14 |
| 6 | 17 | 14 |
| 7 | 17 | 14 |
| 8 | 17 | 15 |
| 9 | 17 | 15 |
| 10 | 17 | 15 |
| 11 | 17 | 15 |
| 12 | 17 | 15 |
| 13 | 17 | 15 |
| 14 | 17 | 15 |
| 15 | 17 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 15 |
| 17 | 17 | 15 |
| 18 | 17 | 15 |
| 19 | 17 | 15 |
| 20 | 17 | 15 |
| 21 | 17 | 15 |
| 22 | 17 | 15 |
| 23 | 17 | 15 |
| 24 | 17 | 15 |
| 25 | 18 | 15 |
| 26 | 18 | 15 |
| 27 | 18 | 15 |
| 28 | 18 | 15 |
| 29 | 18 | 15 |
| 30 | 18 | 15 |
| 31 | 18 | 15 |
Wellington weather by month
How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 2nd-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17° / 15° | 55 | 7.5 | 14.6 | 5.9 |
| Feb | 18° / 15° | 56 | 6.1 | 13.7 | 6.4 |
| Mar | 17° / 14° | 59 | 7.4 | 12.3 | 5.8 |
| Apr | 15° / 13° | 73 | 9 | 10.9 | 4.8 |
| May | 14° / 12° | 76 | 10.2 | 9.7 | 4.0 |
| Jun | 12° / 10° | 95 | 12.1 | 9.1 | 3.1 |
| Jul | 11° / 9° | 87 | 12.1 | 9.3 | 2.7 |
| Aug | 11° / 9° | 82 | 12.6 | 10.3 | 2.7 |
| Sep | 12° / 10° | 74 | 10.8 | 11.7 | 3.2 |
| Oct | 13° / 11° | 83 | 11.3 | 13.1 | 3.6 |
| Nov | 14° / 12° | 69 | 9.1 | 14.3 | 4.3 |
| Dec | 16° / 14° | 65 | 9.6 | 14.9 | 5.0 |
Cloud cover in January
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 40% of the time in January.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 43%.
| 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 (%) | 56 | 56 | 56 | 57 | 56 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 57 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 58 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 58 |
| Cloudier (%) | 44 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 42 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 56 | 44 |
| 2 | 56 | 44 |
| 3 | 56 | 44 |
| 4 | 57 | 43 |
| 5 | 56 | 44 |
| 6 | 56 | 44 |
| 7 | 57 | 43 |
| 8 | 58 | 42 |
| 9 | 58 | 42 |
| 10 | 58 | 42 |
| 11 | 57 | 43 |
| 12 | 58 | 42 |
| 13 | 58 | 42 |
| 14 | 58 | 42 |
| 15 | 58 | 42 |
| 16 | 58 | 42 |
| 17 | 58 | 42 |
| 18 | 58 | 42 |
| 19 | 57 | 43 |
| 20 | 57 | 43 |
| 21 | 57 | 43 |
| 22 | 57 | 43 |
| 23 | 57 | 43 |
| 24 | 57 | 43 |
| 25 | 57 | 43 |
| 26 | 57 | 43 |
| 27 | 57 | 43 |
| 28 | 57 | 43 |
| 29 | 57 | 43 |
| 30 | 57 | 43 |
| 31 | 58 | 42 |
Chance of precipitation in January
Wellington gets around 55 mm of rain over 7.5 wet days in January, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 25% and peaks near 27% 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 (%) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 27 |
| 2 | 27 |
| 3 | 27 |
| 4 | 27 |
| 5 | 27 |
| 6 | 27 |
| 7 | 27 |
| 8 | 27 |
| 9 | 26 |
| 10 | 26 |
| 11 | 26 |
| 12 | 26 |
| 13 | 26 |
| 14 | 26 |
| 15 | 25 |
| 16 | 25 |
| 17 | 25 |
| 18 | 25 |
| 19 | 25 |
| 20 | 24 |
| 21 | 24 |
| 22 | 24 |
| 23 | 24 |
| 24 | 24 |
| 25 | 24 |
| 26 | 23 |
| 27 | 23 |
| 28 | 23 |
| 29 | 23 |
| 30 | 23 |
| 31 | 22 |
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 46% 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 (%) | 55 | 54 | 54 | 53 | 53 | 52 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 49 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 |
| Comfortable (%) | 40 | 41 | 41 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 |
| Humid (%) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 55 | 40 | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | 54 | 41 | 5 | 0 |
| 3 | 54 | 41 | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | 53 | 42 | 5 | 0 |
| 5 | 53 | 42 | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | 52 | 42 | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | 51 | 43 | 6 | 0 |
| 8 | 51 | 43 | 6 | 0 |
| 9 | 51 | 43 | 6 | 0 |
| 10 | 50 | 44 | 6 | 0 |
| 11 | 50 | 44 | 7 | 0 |
| 12 | 49 | 44 | 7 | 0 |
| 13 | 48 | 44 | 7 | 0 |
| 14 | 48 | 44 | 8 | 0 |
| 15 | 47 | 45 | 8 | 0 |
| 16 | 46 | 45 | 9 | 0 |
| 17 | 46 | 45 | 9 | 0 |
| 18 | 45 | 45 | 10 | 0 |
| 19 | 45 | 45 | 10 | 0 |
| 20 | 44 | 45 | 11 | 0 |
| 21 | 43 | 45 | 12 | 0 |
| 22 | 42 | 45 | 12 | 1 |
| 23 | 42 | 45 | 13 | 1 |
| 24 | 41 | 45 | 14 | 1 |
| 25 | 40 | 45 | 14 | 1 |
| 26 | 40 | 45 | 15 | 1 |
| 27 | 39 | 45 | 15 | 1 |
| 28 | 39 | 44 | 16 | 1 |
| 29 | 39 | 44 | 16 | 1 |
| 30 | 39 | 44 | 17 | 1 |
| 31 | 39 | 44 | 17 | 1 |
Wind in January
Winds average 26 km/h in January.
Across January, daily wind ranges from about 25 km/h on the calmest days to 27 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) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| Feels | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | breezy |
| 2 | 27 | breezy |
| 3 | 27 | breezy |
| 4 | 27 | breezy |
| 5 | 27 | breezy |
| 6 | 27 | breezy |
| 7 | 27 | breezy |
| 8 | 27 | breezy |
| 9 | 27 | breezy |
| 10 | 27 | breezy |
| 11 | 27 | breezy |
| 12 | 27 | breezy |
| 13 | 27 | breezy |
| 14 | 27 | breezy |
| 15 | 27 | breezy |
| 16 | 27 | breezy |
| 17 | 27 | breezy |
| 18 | 26 | breezy |
| 19 | 26 | breezy |
| 20 | 26 | breezy |
| 21 | 26 | breezy |
| 22 | 26 | breezy |
| 23 | 26 | breezy |
| 24 | 26 | breezy |
| 25 | 26 | breezy |
| 26 | 26 | breezy |
| 27 | 25 | breezy |
| 28 | 25 | breezy |
| 29 | 25 | breezy |
| 30 | 25 | breezy |
| 31 | 25 | breezy |
Sunrise & sunset in January
Daylight runs from about 14 h 54 min at the start of January to 14 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days shrink by about 42 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 5:56 AM to 6:28 AM, and sunset from 8:52 PM to 8:41 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) | 14.9 | 14.9 | 14.9 | 14.9 | 14.9 | 14.9 | 14.9 | 14.8 | 14.8 | 14.8 | 14.8 | 14.8 | 14.7 | 14.7 | 14.7 | 14.7 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.2 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:56 | 5:57 | 5:58 | 5:59 | 5:59 | 6:00 | 6:01 | 6:02 | 6:03 | 6:04 | 6:05 | 6:06 | 6:07 | 6:08 | 6:09 | 6:10 | 6:11 | 6:12 | 6:13 | 6:15 | 6:16 | 6:17 | 6:18 | 6:19 | 6:20 | 6:21 | 6:23 | 6:24 | 6:25 | 6:26 | 6:28 |
| Sunset (PM) | 8:52 | 8:52 | 8:52 | 8:52 | 8:52 | 8:52 | 8:52 | 8:52 | 8:52 | 8:52 | 8:52 | 8:52 | 8:51 | 8:51 | 8:51 | 8:50 | 8:50 | 8:49 | 8:49 | 8:49 | 8:48 | 8:47 | 8:47 | 8:46 | 8:46 | 8:45 | 8:44 | 8:43 | 8:43 | 8:42 | 8:41 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14.9 | 5:56 | 8:52 |
| 2 | 14.9 | 5:57 | 8:52 |
| 3 | 14.9 | 5:58 | 8:52 |
| 4 | 14.9 | 5:59 | 8:52 |
| 5 | 14.9 | 5:59 | 8:52 |
| 6 | 14.9 | 6:00 | 8:52 |
| 7 | 14.9 | 6:01 | 8:52 |
| 8 | 14.8 | 6:02 | 8:52 |
| 9 | 14.8 | 6:03 | 8:52 |
| 10 | 14.8 | 6:04 | 8:52 |
| 11 | 14.8 | 6:05 | 8:52 |
| 12 | 14.8 | 6:06 | 8:52 |
| 13 | 14.7 | 6:07 | 8:51 |
| 14 | 14.7 | 6:08 | 8:51 |
| 15 | 14.7 | 6:09 | 8:51 |
| 16 | 14.7 | 6:10 | 8:50 |
| 17 | 14.6 | 6:11 | 8:50 |
| 18 | 14.6 | 6:12 | 8:49 |
| 19 | 14.6 | 6:13 | 8:49 |
| 20 | 14.6 | 6:15 | 8:49 |
| 21 | 14.5 | 6:16 | 8:48 |
| 22 | 14.5 | 6:17 | 8:47 |
| 23 | 14.5 | 6:18 | 8:47 |
| 24 | 14.5 | 6:19 | 8:46 |
| 25 | 14.4 | 6:20 | 8:46 |
| 26 | 14.4 | 6:21 | 8:45 |
| 27 | 14.4 | 6:23 | 8:44 |
| 28 | 14.3 | 6:24 | 8:43 |
| 29 | 14.3 | 6:25 | 8:43 |
| 30 | 14.3 | 6:26 | 8:42 |
| 31 | 14.2 | 6:28 | 8:41 |
Solar energy in January
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 7.3 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.6 kWh/m² to a high of 7.3 kWh/m² in January across the year — January's 7.3 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) | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 |
| 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 | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7.6 | Intense |
| 2 | 7.6 | Intense |
| 3 | 7.6 | Intense |
| 4 | 7.6 | Intense |
| 5 | 7.6 | Intense |
| 6 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 7 | 7.5 | Intense |
| 8 | 7.4 | Intense |
| 9 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 10 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 11 | 7.3 | Intense |
| 12 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 13 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 14 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 15 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 16 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 17 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 18 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 19 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 26 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 27 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 28 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 29 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 30 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 31 | 6.7 | Intense |
Is January a good time to visit Wellington?
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 Wellington for sightseeing.
What to pack for Wellington in January
From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In January, Wellington sees daytime highs around 17°C and nights near 15°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: a windbreaker. About 8 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Wellington in January
The nearest coast averages about 16°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 13 km away) is warmest in February at about 17°C and coldest in August near 12°C.
The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| Comfort | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Cool |
| Feb | 17 | Cool |
| Mar | 16 | Cool |
| Apr | 15 | Cool |
| May | 14 | Bracing |
| Jun | 13 | Bracing |
| Jul | 12 | Bracing |
| Aug | 12 | Bracing |
| Sep | 12 | Bracing |
| Oct | 13 | Bracing |
| Nov | 14 | Bracing |
| Dec | 15 | Bracing |
UV index in Wellington in January
Clear-sky midday UV in January 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 Wellington peaks around January 1 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 17 at about 1 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 11 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 11 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | High | Moderate | Low | Low | Low | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Extreme |
| Feb | 10 | Extreme |
| Mar | 6 | High |
| Apr | 4 | Moderate |
| May | 2 | Low |
| Jun | 1 | Low |
| Jul | 2 | Low |
| Aug | 3 | Moderate |
| Sep | 4 | Moderate |
| Oct | 6 | High |
| Nov | 9 | Very high |
| Dec | 11 | Extreme |
Where is Wellington?
Wellington sits at 41.3°S, 174.8°E, 31 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Karori, 3.0 km away.
Topography around Wellington
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Wellington.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Wellington has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 349 m around an average of 85 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 528 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,512 m.
The land around Wellington is covered by trees (45%), artificial surfaces (29%) and water (22%) within 3 km, water (46%) and trees (31%) within 16 km, and water (60%) and trees (23%) 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 Wellington (-41.2866°, 174.7756°, elevation 31 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).