Whakatane weather in February

In February, Whakatane sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 94 mm of rain across 8 wet days and about 13.5 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 23°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in February, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 54 min at the start of February to 13 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, February is Whakatane's 8th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Whakatane's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
1st warmest
Overnight low
16°
12th coldest
Rainfall
94 mm
8 wet days
Daylight
13 h 30 min
6:43 AM – 8:10 PM
Cloud cover
58%
8th clearest
Wind
12 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.7 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.9
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 February

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 23°C through the month.

A typical February day in Whakatane reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 25°C. Set against its neighbours, February runs on par with January and about 1°C warmer than March.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202528
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12316
22316
32316
42316
52316
62316
72316
82316
92316
102316
112316
122316
132316
142316
152316
162316
172316
182316
192316
202316
212316
222216
232216
242216
252216
262215
272215
282215

Whakatane weather by month

How February compares with the rest of the year at a glance. February is the 1st-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan22° / 15°889.114.36.9
Feb23° / 16°94813.56.9
Mar21° / 14°1018.712.36.8
Apr19° / 12°1179.7116.2
May16° / 10°1199.6105.4
Jun14° / 13910.59.44.2
Jul14° / 137119.63.8
Aug14° / 12411.210.54.1
Sep15° / 11911.211.74.6
Oct17° / 10°11011.4135.4
Nov19° / 12°939.614.16.1
Dec21° / 14°11711.614.66.2

Cloud cover in February

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in February.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 21% of February, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 49%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202528
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
24951
34951
44951
54852
65050
75050
84951
95050
105050
114951
125050
134951
144951
155050
165149
175149
185149
195248
205248
215347
225347
235446
245545
255545
265644
275743
285743

Chance of precipitation in February

Any precipitation

Whakatane gets around 94 mm of rain over 8 wet days in February. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 29% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202528
Rain chance (%)
127
227
327
427
527
627
727
827
927
1028
1128
1229
1329
1430
1530
1631
1731
1831
1931
2031
2131
2231
2330
2430
2530
2630
2729
2829

Humidity in February

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, February lands in the comfortable band about 36% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 11% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202528
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1283626110
2283625110
3283625110
4283625110
5283725100
6273725101
7273725101
8273725101
9273725111
10273725111
11263725111
12263725111
13253725121
14253726121
15253726121
16253626121
17253627120
18253627120
19253627120
20263627110
21263627110
22273627100
23273627100
2428362790
2529362690
2630362680
2731362670
2832362570

Wind in February

Winds average 12 km/h in February, the calmest month.

Across February, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 12 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202528
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
112light breeze
212calm
312calm
412calm
512calm
612calm
712calm
812calm
912calm
1012calm
1112calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2012calm
2112calm
2212calm
2312calm
2412calm
2512calm
2612calm
2712calm
2812calm

Sunrise & sunset in February

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 54 min at the start of February to 13 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 54 minutes over February. Sunrise moves from 6:27 AM to 6:57 AM, and sunset from 8:24 PM to 7:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202528
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.96:278:24
213.96:298:23
313.96:308:22
413.86:318:21
513.86:328:20
613.86:338:20
713.76:348:19
813.76:358:18
913.76:368:17
1013.66:378:16
1113.66:388:15
1213.66:408:14
1313.56:418:13
1413.56:428:12
1513.56:438:10
1613.46:448:09
1713.46:458:08
1813.36:468:07
1913.36:478:06
2013.36:488:05
2113.26:498:03
2213.26:508:02
2313.26:518:01
2413.16:528:00
2513.16:547:58
2613.06:557:57
2713.06:567:56
2813.06:577:54

Solar energy in February

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in February, about 5.7 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 — February's 5.7 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202528
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.2Intense
26.2Intense
36.2Intense
46.1Intense
56.1Intense
66.0Intense
76.0Bright
85.9Bright
95.9Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.4Bright
215.4Bright
225.4Bright
235.4Bright
245.3Bright
255.3Bright
265.3Bright
275.3Bright
285.2Bright
Planning a trip in February

Hazard calendar for Whakatane

In seasonPeak

In February, 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.

Cyclone
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is February a good time to visit Whakatane?

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

6.9
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
5.2
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

February is a reasonable time to visit Whakatane for sightseeing.

What to pack for Whakatane in February

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

In February, Whakatane sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 16°C. Worth packing: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 8 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Whakatane in February

The nearest coast averages about 21°C in February — 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.

15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan20Cool
Feb21Refreshing
Mar20Refreshing
Apr19Cool
May18Cool
Jun16Cool
Jul15Bracing
Aug14Bracing
Sep15Bracing
Oct15Cool
Nov16Cool
Dec18Cool

UV index in Whakatane in February

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in February 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 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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateModerateHighVery highExtremeDec 23UV 12Jun 18UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar8Very high
Apr5Moderate
May3Moderate
Jun2Low
Jul2Moderate
Aug3Moderate
Sep5Moderate
Oct7Very high
Nov10Extreme
Dec12Extreme
Location & terrain

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.

TaupoGisborneCambridgeHamilton EastHamiltonNapier

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.

3 km
209 m
16 km
376 m
80 km
1,483 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
February weather nearby: Rotorua 68 km · Tauranga 78 km · Taupo 113 km · Gisborne 118 km · Cambridge 136 km · Hamilton East 150 km · Hamilton 151 km · Napier 171 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 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).