January 2025: Cooler-Than-Average Temperatures - New Zealand’s Coldest January Since 2017

January 2025 was marked by cooler-than-average temperatures across much of the country, making it New Zealand’s coldest January since 2017, according to NIWA National Climate Centre’s Monthly Climate Summary issued today (5 February 2025) for the first month of 2025.

The nationwide average temperature was 16.4°C, which is 0.8°C below the 1991-2020 January average. Below-average temperatures were recorded in the central and southern North Island and much of the South Island, while western parts of the South Island, including the West Coast and Fiordland, experienced above-average warmth.

It was a dry month for many regions, with below-normal rainfall observed across the West Coast, Southland, Otago, Marlborough, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Auckland, and southern Northland. In contrast, eastern Canterbury, Nelson, and northern Northland recorded above-normal rainfall.

Sunshine hours were exceptionally high in western South Island regions, with Hokitika recording its sunniest January since 1912 (328 hours), while Greymouth also had a record-breaking month (302 hours).

Further Highlights:

• The highest temperature was 32.4°C in Kawerau on 24 January.
• Among major centres, Auckland was the warmest, Hamilton the driest, Tauranga the sunniest, Dunedin the coolest, and Christchurch the wettest and least sunny.
• The sunniest locations in January were the West Coast (328 hours), Taranaki (318 hours), Bay of Plenty (310 hours), and Mackenzie Country (302 hours).

There are more highlights, main centre summaries and extreme event information in the full Monthly Climate Summary, as well as tables and illustrative maps.

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