March Weather in New Zealand - 2025

New Zealand is a beautiful country, made up of two large landmasses, The North and South Islands, and many other smaller islands. The terrain ranges from imposing snow-capped mountains to breathtaking forests to splendid beaches. Like its two islands, New Zealand's culture is a combination of Maori and British traditions. The capital is Wellington. A town on the southwestern tip of the Northern Island. The largest urban area, Auckland, is also on the Northern Island. The official languages are English and Maori.

Weather March 2025 in New Zealand:

Generally, March in New Zealand will be really nice, with an average temperature of around 69°F / 21°C. But due to the very dry air, it can feel somewhat uncomfortable for some people. You can expect around 8 rainy days, with on average 1.5 inches / 39 mm of rain during the month of March.
Resonable comfortable (very dry air) with nice temperatures
By Pumpmeup - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

March weather in New Zealand

To get a good overview of the type of weather you can expect in March in New Zealand, we will look at the day and night temperature, minimum and maximum water temperature, and if March is comfortable or humid

Generally, March in New Zealand will be really nice. Historical data shows that you can expect an average temperature of around 69°F / 21°C. But due to the very dry air, it can feel somewhat uncomfortable for some people. During the night, it will cool down to around 48°F / 9°C.

New Zealand has rainy days in March. You can expect around 8 rainy days, with on average 1.5 inches / 39 mm of rain during the whole month.

Average temperature
Average Sea temperature
Wintersun Comfort grade and huricane risk

The forecast for March 2025 is based on historical data and are averages. They will give a good indication what you can expect, but the daily temperature and rain will fluctuate during the month.

March weather in New Zealand in more detail

To get a better feeling for the type of weather, you can expect in March in New Zealand, we will look at the temperature, rain, wind, humidity, water temperature, and sun and clouds

- What will the temperature be in New Zealand in March

Generally, you can expect in March an average temperature of 69°F / 21°C during the day and an average of 48°F / 9°C during the night. In March, during the warmest part of the afternoon, the temperature can often get as high as 82°F / 28°C, and at the end of the night, it can get as low as 35°F / 2°C.

When looking at the whole year, July is the coldest month, with an average temperature of around 51°F / 11°C. January and February are the hottest months, with an average temperature of around 73°F / 23°C. When comparing March with the temperature in the month before and after, this is almost equal to February, which sees an average maximum temperature of around 73°F / 23°C. And slightly more than April, which sees an average maximum temperature of around 64°F / 18°C.

Day and night temperature variation for New Zealand during the year.
Day and night temperature variation for New Zealand during the year.

But average temperatures only tell half of the story. It is also good to check the maximum and minimum temperatures. When looking at the whole year, January and February are the hottest months, with a temperature of around 86°F / 30°C. July is the coldest month, with a temperature of around 62°F / 17°C. When comparing March with the temperature in the month before and after, this is almost equal to February, which sees an average maximum temperature of around 86°F / 30°C. And slightly more than April, which sees an average maximum temperature of around 75°F / 24°C.

In the following graph, you can see how many cold and hot days you can expect in New Zealand each month:

Day and night temperature variation for New Zealand during the year.
Day and night temperature variation for New Zealand during the year.

- Can you expect rain in March in New Zealand?

Generally, you can expect about 8 rain days in March, with on average 1.5 inches / 39 mm of rain.

When looking at the whole year, January is the dryest month, with an average rainfall of around 1.3 inches / 33 mmmm. July is the wettest month, with an average rainfall of around 2.2 inches / 56 mmmm. When comparing March with the month before and after, this is almost equal to February, which sees around 1.5 inches / 37 mm of rain. And slightly more than April, which sees around 1.4 inches / 35 mm of rain

Rain days for New Zealand during the year.
Rain days for New Zealand during the year.

If we look at the number of days with rain, April is the month with the least amount of rain days with an average of between 7 and 8 days. August, October and December And are the months with the most rain days with an average of between 10 and 11 days When comparing March with the month before and after, this is almost equal to February, which sees around 8 days of rain. And almost equal to April, which sees an average of between 7 and 8 days of rain

- What will the water temperature be in New Zealand for March

You can expect in March, the water temperature for New Zealand to be between 71°F / 22°C and 68°F / 20°C.

To compare the water temperature we will use the maximum water temperature. You can expect this temperature on a more sunny day, close to the shore, when the wind does not mix the relatively warmer and colder water.

January and February And have the highest water temperature, withan average of between 71°F / 22°C and 73°F / 23°C. August has the lowest water temperature, with around 60°F / 16°C. When comparing the water temperature from March with the month before and after, March has a water temperature almost equal to February, with a water temperature of an average of between 71°F / 22°C and 73°F / 23°C. And almost equal to the water temperature from April, that is around 69°F / 21°C.

Water temperature for New Zealand during the year.
Water temperature for New Zealand during the year.

- Can you expect in March a lot of sunny days in New Zealand

Generally, you can expect around 6 sunny days in March and around 20 partly sunny days. The remaining days will be cloudy.

When looking at the whole year, April is the month with the highest number of sunny days, with an average of between 6 and 7 sunny days. December is the month with the lowest number of sunny days, with an average of between 3 and 4 sunny days. When comparing March with the number of sunny days in the month before and after, it is almost equal to February, with around 5 sunny days. And almost equal to April, with an average of between 6 and 7 sunny days

The number of sunny, partly sunny, and cloudy days for New Zealand
The number of sunny, partly sunny, and cloudy days for New Zealand

We have looked at the sunny days in New Zealand. Let's also look at the cloudy or overcast days. July and August And are the months with the higest number of cloudy days, with an average of between 10 and 11 cloudy days. February is the month with the lowest number of cloudy days, with an average of between 5 and 6 cloudy days. When comparing March with the number of cloudy days in the month before and after, it is almost equal to February, with an average of between 5 and 6 cloudy days. And almost equal to April, with an average of between 6 and 7 cloudy days

- Will it be comfortable in March in New Zealand?

Generally, March in New Zealand will have very dry air, and can feel somewhat uncomfortable for some people. But will be fine for most..

We use the humidity and temperature in New Zealand to calculate the Wintersun Expert Comfort level for each month. The lower the Wintersun Expert Comfort level, the more comfortable it will be. Only for certain people, extremely dry air can feel slightly uncomfortable.

When looking at the whole year, June has the lowest humidity, with a Wintersun Expert comfort level of "comfortable" (very dry air). January has the highest humidity, with a Wintersun Expert comfort level of "comfortable" (very dry air). When comparing March with the month before and after, this is slightly less than February, which has a Wintersun Comfort level of "comfortable" (very dry air). And almost equal to April, which has a Wintersun Comfort level of "comfortable" (very dry air)

Wintersun Expert Humidity / Comfort level for New Zealand
Wintersun Expert Humidity / Comfort level for New Zealand

What to do in New Zealand in March

New Zealand has an abundance of so many things to see in the country. From nature parks to museums, and other interesting sites. Here are a couple of suggestions in no particular order:

  • Milford Sound: The site boasts of incredible waterfalls, seals & penguins, and famous Mitre Peak. It is one of New Zealand's most famous tourist attractions.
  • Bay of Islands: On the North Island of New Zealand, the bay of islands is most popular for big game fishing, sailing, and Maori sites.
  • Waitomo Glowworm caves: It is a cave at Waitomo on the north island of New Zealand. It is a popular attraction because of a glowworm species that are exclusively found in New Zealand. There are organized tours that include boat rides to experience the glowworms.
  • Te Puia: This location has a Maori Museum & geothermal geyser that attracts a great number of tourists all year round.
  • Vulcanos: New Zealand has several active volcanoes you can visit.
  • Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
  • Doubtful Sound
  • Auckland War Memorial Museum
  • White Island
  • Larnach Castle
  • Hamilton Garden
  • Canterbury Museum
  • Dunedin Railways
  • Otago central rail trail

Is it humid in New Zealand in March?

A lot of people ask interested in the humidity or relative humidity for New Zealand in March. But the real question they want to ask is not about humidity but the amount of moisture in the air. Or better, about comfort. Will it be comfortable in March in New Zealand, or will high humidity make it uncomfortable.

To answer this question, we have to look at the dew point. Relative humidity can change a lot in New Zealand during the day and night, as it changes when the amount of moisture changes and, but also when the temperature changes. It is a lot less reliable for comfort. Where the dew point only varies with the amount of moisture in the air.

Looking at the dew point, we can see that for the month of March, you can expect that New Zealand will have very dry air, and can feel somewhat uncomfortable for some people. But will be fine for most..

June is the month with the most comfort. It will have very dry air, and can feel somewhat uncomfortable for some people. But will be fine for most.. January is the most uncomfortable month. It will have very dry air, and can feel somewhat uncomfortable for some people. But will be fine for most.. In the graph, you can see that there is some difference between the most comfortable and most uncomfortable months

Humidity level for New Zealand
Humidity level for New Zealand

Is March a good time to go to New Zealand?

Trying to answer the question of whether March is a good time to go to New Zealand is not as easy as it first seems. Some people like colder weather, and others prefer a warmer climate. Some are fine with some humidity, and others are not. If your location has air conditioning, the night temperature is less important.

These are some examples. I will try to answer the question with a more generic person in mind. The more detailed information in this article should be enough to check further if this applies to you as well.

If we look at the average temperature for New Zealand in March, we can see that it will be fine for most people. In March, you can expect it to be really nice, with an average temperature of around 69°F / 21°C. But due to the very dry air, it can feel somewhat uncomfortable for some people. During the night, it will be around 48°F / 9°C.

The number of overcast days is more than 5, but you can still the sun with around 6 sunny days and 20 partly sunny days.

The last aspect we will look at is rain. You can expect around 8 rainy days, with on average 1.5 inches / 39 mm of rain during March. More then 5 days rain per month makes the chance higher you will see some rain during a shorter stay. But a day with rain does not mean a day you can not enjoy.

We have looked at the average day temperature, the night temperature, humidity, the number of overcast days, and the rain. We think that March a good time to go to New Zealand for most visitors.

Does it rain all day in New Zealand in March?

In New Zealand, it does not rain all day in March. You can expect around 8 rainy days, with on average 1.5 inches / 39 mm of rain during the month.

Another way of looking at the rain is the number of sunny days. For New Zealand, there are, on average 6 sunny days and 20 partly sunny days in March. That clearly shows that it is not raining all the time.

Is March the rainiest month in New Zealand?

March is not the month with the most rainy days, and not the month with the most rain.

To answer what the rainiest month is in New Zealand, we will both look at the month with the most rain, and the month with the highest number of rainy days.

August, October and December are the months with the the highest number of rainiest days. On average, you can expect 11 days with rain. April is the month with the lowest number of rainy days, with aproximately 8 days.

August, October and December are the months with the most rain. These are not equal to the months with the most rainy days. On average, you can expect 2.2 inches / 56 mm of rain. April is the month with the least amount of rain. This is not the same month as the one with the lowest number of rainy days. You can expect approximately 1.3 inches / 33 mm of rain.

Is March the most sunniest month in New Zealand?

March is not the month with the most sunny days, not the month with the most partly sunny days, and it is not the month with the lowest number of overcast days.

To answer what the sunniest month is in New Zealand, we will of course look at the month with the most sunniest days, but also look at the month with the biggest number of days that are sunny or partly sunny.

April is the month with the highest number of sunny days. On average, you can expect 6 sunny days, and 20 partly suny days. December is the month with the lowest number of sunny days.

March is the month with the highest number of sunny days and partly sunny days combined. While August is the month with the lowest number of sunny days and partly sunny days combined.

The last thing we will look at is the number of overcast days. February is the month with the lowest number of overcast days. While July and August are months with the highest number of overcast days.

More information about New Zealand

Weather in New Zealand in other months

What to do in New Zealand for each month

Similar Posts