2025 was New Zealand’s 4th-warmest year on record, based on Earth Sciences New Zealand’s seven station series which begins in 1909.

Annual temperatures were above average (0.51-1.20°C above the annual average) for most of the country, with well above average temperatures (>1.20°C above average) for parts of Northland and the Bay of Plenty.

Rainfall was above normal (120-149% of the annual normal) for northern parts of Marlborough and Tasman, Nelson, Banks Peninsula, southern parts of the Mackenzie Basin, and Taupō. Rainfall was below normal (50-79% of the annual normal) for Hawke’s Bay and much of the Wairarapa.

The highest air temperature of the year was 35.6°C recorded at Kawerau on 7 December, and the lowest was -12.9°C recorded at Mt Cook Airport on 8 June.

Taranaki wins the sunshine crown, with 2743 hours of sunshine recorded at New Plymouth, beating the wider Nelson area, Marlborough and Bay of Plenty.

Of the six main centres in 2025, Auckland was the warmest, Tauranga was the sunniest and wettest, Christchurch was the equal-coolest, and Dunedin was the driest, equal-coolest, and least sunny.

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