List of extreme temperatures in New Zealand
The highest temperature ever recorded in New Zealand is 42.4 °C (108.3 °F), which was recorded on 7 February 1973 at Rangiora in Canterbury. The lowest temperature ever recorded in New Zealand is −25.6 °C (−14.1 °F), on 17 July 1903 at Ranfurly in the Otago Region.
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Ranfurly
Rangiora
Map of all-time record temperatures
Highest temperatures recorded in New Zealand
| Temperature[1] | Region | Location | Date recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42.4 °C (108.3 °F) | Canterbury | Rangiora | 7 February 1973 |
| 42.3 °C (108.1 °F) | Marlborough | Jordan | 7 February 1973 |
| 41.6 °C (106.9 °F) | Canterbury | Christchurch | 7 February 1973 |
| 41.3 °C (106.3 °F) | Canterbury | Timaru | 6 February 2011 |
| Ashburton | 7 February 1973 | ||
| 41.2 °C (106.2 °F) | Canterbury | Wigram | 7 February 1973 |
| 40.4 °C (104.7 °F) | Canterbury | Lincoln | 7 February 1973 |
| 40.3 °C (104.5 °F) | Canterbury | Timaru Airport | 6 February 2011 |
| 40.0 °C (104.0 °F) | Canterbury | Timaru | 22 January 2025 |
| Christchurch Airport | 7 February 1973 | ||
| 39.8 °C (103.6 °F) | Canterbury | Timaru Airport | 7 February 1973 |
| Ashley Forest | 7 February 1973 | ||
| 39.4 °C (102.9 °F) | Canterbury | Darfield | 7 February 1973 |
| Temuka | 7 February 1973 | ||
| Ashburton | 26 January 2021 | ||
| 39.2 °C (102.6 °F) | Gisborne | Ruatoria | 7 February 1973 |
Lowest temperatures recorded in New Zealand
| Temperature[2][3] | Region | Location | Date recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| −25.6 °C (−14.1 °F) | Otago | Ranfurly | 17 July 1903 |
| −21.6 °C (−6.9 °F) | Otago | Ophir | 3 July 1995 |
| Tara Hills | 3 July 1995 | ||
| Lauder | 3 July 1995 | ||
| −21.0 °C (−5.8 °F) | Otago | Tara Hills | 24 June 2015 |
| −19.8 °C (−3.6 °F) | Canterbury | Lake Pukaki | 23 June 2015 |
| −19.7 °C (−3.5 °F) | Otago | Tara Hills | 25 June 2015 |
Yearly New Zealand temperature extremes 2000-2025
Highest temperatures
| Year | Temperature °C (°F) | Region | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 35.0 °C (95.0 °F) | Canterbury | Culverden | 4 March |
| Darfield | 4 March | |||
| 2001 | 35.3 °C (95.5 °F) | Canterbury | Timaru Airport | 4 February |
| 2002 | 36.5 °C (97.7 °F) | Canterbury | Darfield | 31 December |
| 2003 | 36.0 °C (96.8 °F) | Otago | Middlemarch | 31 December |
| 2004 | 38.4 °C (101.1 °F) | Canterbury | Darfield | 1 January |
| 2005 | 38.7 °C (101.7 °F) | Otago | Alexandra | 5 February |
| 2006 | 36.0 °C (96.8 °F) | Otago | Alexandra | 27 January |
| 28 January | ||||
| 29 January | ||||
| 2007 | 33.5 °C (92.3 °F) | Hawke's Bay | Napier Airport | 22 January |
| 2008 | 34.8 °C (94.6 °F) | Canterbury | Timaru Airport | 12 January |
| 19 March | ||||
| Manawatū–Whanganui | Waione | 22 January | ||
| 2009 | 38.0 °C (100.4 °F) | Canterbury | Culverden | 8 February |
| 2010 | 35.6 °C (96.1 °F) | Canterbury | Cheviot | 22 February |
| 2011 | 41.3 °C (106.3 °F) | Canterbury | Timaru | 6 February |
| 2012 | 34.5 °C (94.1 °F) | Gisborne | Gisborne | 19 December |
| 2013 | 35.1 °C (95.2 °F) | Otago | Clyde | 5 January |
| Gisborne | Gisborne | 9 January | ||
| 10 January | ||||
| 2014 | 35.7 °C (96.3 °F) | Otago | Clyde | 20 February |
| 2015 | 36.4 °C (97.5 °F) | Canterbury | Timaru | 16 January |
| Leeston | 21 December | |||
| 2016 | 35.5 °C (95.9 °F) | Otago | Alexandra | 3 February |
| Clyde | 3 February | |||
| 2017 | 35.5 °C (95.9 °F) | Hawke's Bay | Wairoa | 6 February |
| 2018 | 38.7 °C (101.7 °F) | Otago | Alexandra | 30 January |
| 2019 | 38.4 °C (101.1 °F) | Canterbury | Hanmer Springs | 31 January |
| 2020 | 38.2 °C (100.8 °F) | Gisborne | Gisborne | 31 January |
| 2021 | 39.4 °C (102.9 °F) | Canterbury | Ashburton | 26 January |
| 2022 | 34.7 °C (94.5 °F) | Waikato | Lake Karapiro | 3 January |
| 2023 | 35.6 °C (96.1 °F) | Otago | Middlemarch | 4 February |
| 2024 | 37.0 °C (98.6 °F) | Canterbury | Hanmer Springs | 5 February |
| 2025 | 33.6 °C (92.5 °F) | Canterbury | Timaru | 17 March |
Lowest temperatures
| Year | Temperature °C (°F) | Region | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | −12.4 °C (9.7 °F) | Canterbury | Lake Tekapo | 24 August |
| 2001 | −12.2 °C (10.0 °F) | Canterbury | Hanmer Springs | 5 July |
| 2002 | −19.1 °C (−2.4 °F) | Otago | Tara Hills | 20 June |
| 2003 | −14.8 °C (5.4 °F) | Canterbury | Lake Tekapo | 13 July |
| 2004 | −12.0 °C (10.4 °F) | Canterbury | Fairlie | 16 August |
| 2005 | −9.5 °C (14.9 °F) | Otago | Ophir | 17 July |
| 2006 | −14.0 °C (6.8 °F) | Otago | Tara Hills | 14 June |
| Canterbury | Fairlie | 16 August | ||
| 2007 | −15.4 °C (4.3 °F) | Otago | Lauder | 18 July |
| 2008 | −9.5 °C (14.9 °F) | Canterbury | Mount Cook Village | 20 August |
| 2009 | −11.7 °C (10.9 °F) | Otago | Middlemarch | 19 July |
| 2010 | −12.6 °C (9.3 °F) | Canterbury | Lake Tekapo | 10 August |
| 2011 | −10.2 °C (13.6 °F) | Southland | Manapouri | 26 July |
| 2012 | −11.8 °C (10.8 °F) | Canterbury | Darfield | 7 June |
| 2013 | −12.1 °C (10.2 °F) | Canterbury | Lake Tekapo | 28 June |
| 2014 | −9.8 °C (14.4 °F) | Canterbury | Lake Tekapo | 17 July |
| 2015 | −21.0 °C (−5.8 °F) | Otago | Tara Hills | 24 June |
| 2016 | −14.1 °C (6.6 °F) | Canterbury | Mount Cook Aerodrome | 20 August |
| 2017 | −14.6 °C (5.7 °F) | Canterbury | Lake Tekapo | 29 July |
| 2018 | −10.4 °C (13.3 °F) | Canterbury | Mount Cook Aerodrome | 3 June |
| 2019 | −9.2 °C (15.4 °F) | Canterbury | Lake Tekapo | 3 June |
| 2020 | −12.3 °C (9.9 °F) | Otago | Middlemarch | 14 June |
| 2021 | −10.8 °C (12.6 °F) | Otago | Tara Hills | 27 May |
| 2022 | −11.6 °C (11.1 °F) | Canterbury | Mount Cook Aerodrome | 17 July |
| 2023 | −10.6 °C (12.9 °F) | Otago | Tara Hills | 10 June |
| 2024 | −11.8 °C (10.8 °F) | Canterbury | Lake Tekapo | 3 August |
| 2025 | −12.9 °C (8.8 °F) | Canterbury | Mount Cook Aerodrome | 8 June |
References
- ^ Smith, Warwick (27 January 2018). "New Zealand's 10 hottest temperatures ever recorded". Stuff. Archived from the original on 4 September 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ^ "New Zealand Climate Summary: June 2015" (PDF). NIWA. 3 July 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 April 2025. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ^ Kanwal, Sahiban (8 July 2015). "South Canterbury temperature coldest recorded in New Zealand for 20 years". Stuff. Retrieved 4 September 2025.