Whakatane weather in December
In December, Whakatane sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 117 mm of rain across 11.6 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 24% 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 Whakatane's 12th-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Whakatane's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 21°
- 4th warmest
- Overnight low
- 14°
- 9th coldest
- Rainfall
- 117 mm
- 11.6 wet days
- Daylight
- 14 h 36 min
- 5:50 AM – 8:27 PM
- Cloud cover
- 63%
- 12th clearest
- Wind
- 13 km/h
- 7th windiest
- Solar energy
- 6.49 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 6.2
- out of 10
Whakatane is town in Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.
- Density
- 4/km²
- people per km²
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in December
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 21°C through the month.
A typical December day in Whakatane reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 7°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.
| 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) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
| Avg low (°C) | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | 13 |
| 2 | 20 | 13 |
| 3 | 20 | 13 |
| 4 | 20 | 13 |
| 5 | 20 | 14 |
| 6 | 20 | 14 |
| 7 | 20 | 14 |
| 8 | 20 | 14 |
| 9 | 20 | 14 |
| 10 | 21 | 14 |
| 11 | 21 | 14 |
| 12 | 21 | 14 |
| 13 | 21 | 14 |
| 14 | 21 | 14 |
| 15 | 21 | 14 |
| 16 | 21 | 14 |
| 17 | 21 | 14 |
| 18 | 21 | 14 |
| 19 | 21 | 14 |
| 20 | 21 | 14 |
| 21 | 21 | 14 |
| 22 | 21 | 15 |
| 23 | 21 | 15 |
| 24 | 21 | 15 |
| 25 | 21 | 15 |
| 26 | 21 | 15 |
| 27 | 21 | 15 |
| 28 | 21 | 15 |
| 29 | 22 | 15 |
| 30 | 22 | 15 |
| 31 | 22 | 15 |
Whakatane 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.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22° / 15° | 88 | 9.1 | 14.3 | 6.9 |
| Feb | 23° / 16° | 94 | 8 | 13.5 | 6.9 |
| Mar | 21° / 14° | 101 | 8.7 | 12.3 | 6.8 |
| Apr | 19° / 12° | 117 | 9.7 | 11 | 6.2 |
| May | 16° / 10° | 119 | 9.6 | 10 | 5.4 |
| Jun | 14° / 8° | 139 | 10.5 | 9.4 | 4.2 |
| Jul | 14° / 7° | 137 | 11 | 9.6 | 3.8 |
| Aug | 14° / 7° | 124 | 11.2 | 10.5 | 4.1 |
| Sep | 15° / 9° | 119 | 11.2 | 11.7 | 4.6 |
| Oct | 17° / 10° | 110 | 11.4 | 13 | 5.4 |
| Nov | 19° / 12° | 93 | 9.6 | 14.1 | 6.1 |
| Dec | 21° / 14° | 117 | 11.6 | 14.6 | 6.2 |
Cloud cover in December
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 24% of the time in December, the cloudiest month of the year.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 54%.
| 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 (%) | 43 | 44 | 44 | 45 | 44 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 49 |
| Cloudier (%) | 57 | 56 | 56 | 55 | 56 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 53 | 53 | 53 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 54 | 54 | 53 | 52 | 52 | 51 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 43 | 57 |
| 2 | 44 | 56 |
| 3 | 44 | 56 |
| 4 | 45 | 55 |
| 5 | 44 | 56 |
| 6 | 45 | 55 |
| 7 | 45 | 55 |
| 8 | 45 | 55 |
| 9 | 46 | 54 |
| 10 | 46 | 54 |
| 11 | 46 | 54 |
| 12 | 47 | 53 |
| 13 | 47 | 53 |
| 14 | 47 | 53 |
| 15 | 46 | 54 |
| 16 | 46 | 54 |
| 17 | 46 | 54 |
| 18 | 46 | 54 |
| 19 | 45 | 55 |
| 20 | 45 | 55 |
| 21 | 45 | 55 |
| 22 | 45 | 55 |
| 23 | 45 | 55 |
| 24 | 45 | 55 |
| 25 | 45 | 55 |
| 26 | 46 | 54 |
| 27 | 46 | 54 |
| 28 | 47 | 53 |
| 29 | 48 | 52 |
| 30 | 48 | 52 |
| 31 | 49 | 51 |
Chance of precipitation in December
Whakatane gets around 117 mm of rain over 11.6 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 39% 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 (%) | 35 | 36 | 36 | 37 | 37 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 38 | 38 | 37 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 31 | 30 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 35 |
| 2 | 36 |
| 3 | 36 |
| 4 | 37 |
| 5 | 37 |
| 6 | 38 |
| 7 | 38 |
| 8 | 38 |
| 9 | 39 |
| 10 | 39 |
| 11 | 39 |
| 12 | 39 |
| 13 | 39 |
| 14 | 39 |
| 15 | 39 |
| 16 | 39 |
| 17 | 39 |
| 18 | 39 |
| 19 | 39 |
| 20 | 38 |
| 21 | 38 |
| 22 | 37 |
| 23 | 36 |
| 24 | 36 |
| 25 | 35 |
| 26 | 34 |
| 27 | 33 |
| 28 | 33 |
| 29 | 32 |
| 30 | 31 |
| 31 | 30 |
Humidity in December
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.
| 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 (%) | 58 | 57 | 55 | 54 | 53 | 52 | 52 | 50 | 49 | 48 | 48 | 48 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 47 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 41 |
| Comfortable (%) | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 34 | 35 | 35 |
| Humid (%) | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 58 | 30 | 12 | 0 |
| 2 | 57 | 30 | 13 | 0 |
| 3 | 55 | 31 | 14 | 0 |
| 4 | 54 | 31 | 15 | 0 |
| 5 | 53 | 32 | 15 | 0 |
| 6 | 52 | 32 | 16 | 0 |
| 7 | 52 | 32 | 16 | 0 |
| 8 | 50 | 33 | 17 | 0 |
| 9 | 49 | 33 | 17 | 1 |
| 10 | 48 | 33 | 18 | 1 |
| 11 | 48 | 33 | 18 | 1 |
| 12 | 48 | 33 | 18 | 1 |
| 13 | 47 | 33 | 19 | 1 |
| 14 | 47 | 33 | 19 | 1 |
| 15 | 47 | 33 | 19 | 2 |
| 16 | 47 | 33 | 19 | 2 |
| 17 | 46 | 33 | 19 | 2 |
| 18 | 46 | 33 | 19 | 2 |
| 19 | 46 | 33 | 19 | 2 |
| 20 | 46 | 33 | 19 | 2 |
| 21 | 45 | 33 | 19 | 2 |
| 22 | 45 | 33 | 20 | 2 |
| 23 | 45 | 33 | 20 | 2 |
| 24 | 44 | 33 | 20 | 3 |
| 25 | 44 | 33 | 20 | 3 |
| 26 | 43 | 33 | 20 | 3 |
| 27 | 43 | 33 | 21 | 3 |
| 28 | 43 | 34 | 21 | 3 |
| 29 | 42 | 34 | 21 | 3 |
| 30 | 42 | 35 | 21 | 3 |
| 31 | 41 | 35 | 21 | 3 |
Wind in December
Winds average 13 km/h in December.
Across December, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 13 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) | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | light breeze |
| 2 | 13 | light breeze |
| 3 | 13 | light breeze |
| 4 | 13 | light breeze |
| 5 | 13 | light breeze |
| 6 | 13 | light breeze |
| 7 | 13 | light breeze |
| 8 | 13 | light breeze |
| 9 | 13 | light breeze |
| 10 | 13 | light breeze |
| 11 | 13 | light breeze |
| 12 | 13 | light breeze |
| 13 | 13 | light breeze |
| 14 | 13 | light breeze |
| 15 | 13 | light breeze |
| 16 | 13 | light breeze |
| 17 | 13 | light breeze |
| 18 | 13 | light breeze |
| 19 | 13 | light breeze |
| 20 | 13 | light breeze |
| 21 | 13 | light breeze |
| 22 | 13 | light breeze |
| 23 | 13 | light breeze |
| 24 | 13 | light breeze |
| 25 | 13 | light breeze |
| 26 | 13 | light breeze |
| 27 | 13 | light breeze |
| 28 | 13 | light breeze |
| 29 | 13 | light breeze |
| 30 | 13 | light breeze |
| 31 | 13 | light breeze |
Sunrise & sunset in December
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 5:49 AM to 5:57 AM, and sunset from 8:15 PM to 8:33 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) | 14.4 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:49 | 5:48 | 5:48 | 5:48 | 5:48 | 5:48 | 5:48 | 5:48 | 5:48 | 5:48 | 5:49 | 5:49 | 5:49 | 5:49 | 5:49 | 5:50 | 5:50 | 5:50 | 5:51 | 5:51 | 5:51 | 5:52 | 5:52 | 5:53 | 5:53 | 5:54 | 5:55 | 5:55 | 5:56 | 5:57 | 5:57 |
| Sunset (PM) | 8:15 | 8:16 | 8:17 | 8:18 | 8:19 | 8:19 | 8:20 | 8:21 | 8:22 | 8:23 | 8:23 | 8:24 | 8:25 | 8:26 | 8:26 | 8:27 | 8:27 | 8:28 | 8:29 | 8:29 | 8:30 | 8:30 | 8:31 | 8:31 | 8:31 | 8:32 | 8:32 | 8:32 | 8:33 | 8:33 | 8:33 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14.4 | 5:49 | 8:15 |
| 2 | 14.5 | 5:48 | 8:16 |
| 3 | 14.5 | 5:48 | 8:17 |
| 4 | 14.5 | 5:48 | 8:18 |
| 5 | 14.5 | 5:48 | 8:19 |
| 6 | 14.5 | 5:48 | 8:19 |
| 7 | 14.5 | 5:48 | 8:20 |
| 8 | 14.5 | 5:48 | 8:21 |
| 9 | 14.6 | 5:48 | 8:22 |
| 10 | 14.6 | 5:48 | 8:23 |
| 11 | 14.6 | 5:49 | 8:23 |
| 12 | 14.6 | 5:49 | 8:24 |
| 13 | 14.6 | 5:49 | 8:25 |
| 14 | 14.6 | 5:49 | 8:26 |
| 15 | 14.6 | 5:49 | 8:26 |
| 16 | 14.6 | 5:50 | 8:27 |
| 17 | 14.6 | 5:50 | 8:27 |
| 18 | 14.6 | 5:50 | 8:28 |
| 19 | 14.6 | 5:51 | 8:29 |
| 20 | 14.6 | 5:51 | 8:29 |
| 21 | 14.6 | 5:51 | 8:30 |
| 22 | 14.6 | 5:52 | 8:30 |
| 23 | 14.6 | 5:52 | 8:31 |
| 24 | 14.6 | 5:53 | 8:31 |
| 25 | 14.6 | 5:53 | 8:31 |
| 26 | 14.6 | 5:54 | 8:32 |
| 27 | 14.6 | 5:55 | 8:32 |
| 28 | 14.6 | 5:55 | 8:32 |
| 29 | 14.6 | 5:56 | 8:33 |
| 30 | 14.6 | 5:57 | 8:33 |
| 31 | 14.6 | 5:57 | 8:33 |
Solar energy in December
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 6.49 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.9 kWh/m² to a high of 6.93 kWh/m² in January across the year — December's 6.49 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) | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 6.9 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 |
| 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 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 2 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 3 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 4 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 5 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 6 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 7 | 6.4 | Intense |
| 8 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 9 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 10 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 11 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 12 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 13 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 14 | 6.5 | Intense |
| 15 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 16 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 17 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 18 | 6.6 | Intense |
| 19 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 20 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 21 | 6.7 | Intense |
| 22 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 23 | 6.8 | Intense |
| 24 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 25 | 6.9 | Intense |
| 26 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 27 | 7.0 | Intense |
| 28 | 7.1 | Intense |
| 29 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 30 | 7.2 | Intense |
| 31 | 7.2 | Intense |
Hazard calendar for Whakatane
In December, Whakatane sits inside its cyclone season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Whakatane sits in the South Indian Ocean cyclone belt; the season peaks January–March.
Is December a good time to visit Whakatane?
Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
December is a reasonable time to visit Whakatane for sightseeing.
What to pack for Whakatane in December
From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In December, Whakatane sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 14°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 12 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Whakatane 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 at the nearest coast (about 13 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 26 — 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 | 15 | 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 | 15 | Bracing |
| Oct | 15 | Cool |
| Nov | 16 | Cool |
| Dec | 18 | Cool |
UV index in Whakatane in December
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 Whakatane peaks around December 23 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 | 10 | 12 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Moderate | 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 | Moderate |
| May | 3 | Moderate |
| Jun | 2 | Low |
| Jul | 2 | Moderate |
| Aug | 3 | Moderate |
| Sep | 5 | Moderate |
| Oct | 7 | Very high |
| Nov | 10 | Extreme |
| Dec | 12 | Extreme |
Where is Whakatane?
Whakatane sits at 38.0°S, 177.0°E, 11 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Rotorua, 68 km away.
Topography around Whakatane
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Whakatane.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Whakatane has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 209 m around an average of 36 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 376 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,483 m.
The land around Whakatane is covered by trees (29%) and grassland (27%) within 3 km, water (45%), trees (25%) and grassland (24%) within 16 km, and trees (45%) and water (38%) 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 Whakatane (-37.9586°, 176.9854°, elevation 11 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).