Whakatane weather in October

In October, Whakatane sees average daytime highs of 17°C and overnight lows near 10°C, with 110 mm of rain across 11.4 wet days and about 13 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 8th-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 27% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 24 min at the start of October to 13 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Whakatane's 10th-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Whakatane's year-round climate.

Daytime high
17°
7th warmest
Overnight low
10°
6th coldest
Rainfall
110 mm
11.4 wet days
Daylight
13 hours
6:27 AM – 7:27 PM
Cloud cover
59%
10th clearest
Wind
14 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
5.16 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.4
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 October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 17°C through the month.

A typical October day in Whakatane reaches about 17°C in the afternoon and slips back to 10°C overnight — a 7°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, October runs about 2°C warmer than September and about 2°C cooler than November.

10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11610
21610
31610
41610
51610
61710
71710
81710
91710
101710
111710
121710
131710
141710
151710
161710
171710
181710
191710
201710
211710
221711
231711
241811
251811
261811
271811
281811
291811
301811
311811

Whakatane weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 7th-warmest and 8th-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 October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 27% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 50%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34753
44753
54753
64753
74852
84951
95050
105149
115149
125248
135248
145248
155248
165347
175347
185347
195347
205347
215347
225149
235149
245149
255050
264951
274753
284654
294654
304654
314555

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Whakatane gets around 110 mm of rain over 11.4 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 36% and peaks near 41% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
139
240
340
441
541
641
741
841
941
1040
1140
1239
1339
1438
1537
1637
1736
1835
1934
2034
2133
2233
2332
2432
2532
2632
2732
2832
2933
3033
3133

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, October lands in the dry band about 91% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
19370
29370
39280
49280
59280
69280
79280
89280
99280
109280
119370
129370
139370
149370
159370
169370
179280
189280
199280
209190
219190
2290100
2390100
2489110
2588120
2687121
2786131
2886131
2985141
3085141
3183152

Wind in October

Winds average 14 km/h in October, the windiest month of the year.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
114light breeze
214light breeze
314light breeze
414light breeze
514light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2413light breeze
2513light breeze
2613light breeze
2713light breeze
2813light breeze
2913light breeze
3013light breeze
3113light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 24 min at the start of October to 13 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 72 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:49 AM to 6:09 AM, and sunset from 7:13 PM to 7:43 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.46:497:13
212.46:487:14
312.56:467:15
412.56:457:15
512.66:437:16
612.66:427:17
712.66:407:18
812.76:397:19
912.76:377:20
1012.86:367:21
1112.86:347:22
1212.86:337:23
1312.96:317:24
1412.96:307:25
1513.06:287:26
1613.06:277:27
1713.06:267:28
1813.16:247:29
1913.16:237:30
2013.26:227:31
2113.26:207:32
2213.26:197:33
2313.36:187:34
2413.36:177:35
2513.36:157:36
2613.46:147:37
2713.46:137:38
2813.56:127:40
2913.56:117:41
3013.56:107:42
3113.66:097:43

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 5.16 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 — October's 5.16 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.5Bright
24.6Bright
34.6Bright
44.7Bright
54.7Bright
64.7Bright
74.8Bright
84.8Bright
94.9Bright
104.9Bright
115.0Bright
125.0Bright
135.1Bright
145.1Bright
155.2Bright
165.2Bright
175.3Bright
185.3Bright
195.3Bright
205.4Bright
215.4Bright
225.4Bright
235.5Bright
245.5Bright
255.5Bright
265.5Bright
275.5Bright
285.6Bright
295.6Bright
305.6Bright
315.7Bright
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Whakatane

In seasonPeak

None of Whakatane's seasonal hazards are active in October. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

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 October a good time to visit Whakatane?

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

5.4
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
1.3
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Whakatane for sightseeing.

What to pack for Whakatane in October

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

In October, Whakatane sees daytime highs around 17°C and nights near 10°C. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 11 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Whakatane in October

The nearest coast averages about 15°C in October — 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 October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. 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
October 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).