Wanaka Weather Forecast
Wanaka weather: 59°F, partly cloudy. Hourly forecast, 14-day outlook, UV, air quality and the best time to visit.
Summary
Wanaka is a city in Otago. Wanaka is known for lakeside base for Mount Aspiring. It has a population of about 9.500.
Right now it is 59°F (15°C) in Wanaka with partly cloudy. It feels like 53°F. Today runs from 47°F to 60°F. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Sightseeing conditions score 6.9/10 - fair - plan around the weather.
The best time to visit Wanaka is February and March. The climate is temperate. July, September and October tend to be the least comfortable months. February is the warmest month with average highs near 71°F, while August is the coldest with lows near 37°F.
The closest major airport is Queenstown Airport (ZQN), about 29 mi away. Nearby highlights include Lake Wakatipu, Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand, Milford Sound and Fiordland National Park.
In plain terms. Today is warmer than average for August. The forecast high of 60°F is 10.1°F above the 49°F typical for this month. The best window to be outside is roughly 2 PM to 5 PM, when temperature, rain chance and wind line up best. fishing is the strongest bet in Wanaka today at 9/10. Wet roads are likely; braking distances roughly double in heavy rain.
Compiled from this page's own data: atlas facts plus live Open-Meteo readings.
Active alerts for Wanaka
Derived from the forecast. No official alert feed is wired for this country yet.
Weather in Wanaka right now
Wear sunglasses and use SPF 30+ if you are outside for long.
Source: Open-Meteo. Updated 11:05 PM, Aug 25 local time.
See the Wanaka forecast by time range
Next 24 hours
Hour-by-hour temperature, precipitation chance and wind.
16-day forecast for Wanaka
Daily highs and lows, precipitation and UV.
| Day | Conditions | High / Low | Precip | Wind | UV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Aug 25 | 🌦️ Light rain | 60° / 47° | 100% · 0,3 in | 11 mph | 4 |
| Wed, Aug 26 | 🌧️ Rain | 49° / 42° | 100% · 1,1 in | 5 mph | 1 |
| Thu, Aug 27 | 🌨️ Light snow showers | 42° / 35° | 100% · 3,1 in | 5 mph | 2 |
| Fri, Aug 28 | 🌧️ Showers | 43° / 36° | 86% · 0,6 in | 3 mph | 1 |
| Sat, Aug 29 | 🌦️ Light drizzle | 44° / 35° | 17% · 0,0 in | 4 mph | 4 |
| Sun, Aug 30 | 🌦️ Drizzle | 46° / 38° | 39% · 0,2 in | 6 mph | 4 |
| Mon, Aug 31 | ☁️ Overcast | 50° / 41° | 8% | 6 mph | 4 |
| Tue, Sep 1 | 🌦️ Light drizzle | 54° / 42° | 38% · 0,0 in | 9 mph | 3 |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 🌧️ Showers | 52° / 40° | 58% · 0,9 in | 13 mph | 4 |
| Thu, Sep 3 | 🌦️ Light drizzle | 50° / 37° | 30% · 0,0 in | 9 mph | 4 |
| Fri, Sep 4 | 🌨️ Light snow showers | 53° / 40° | 45% · 1,4 in | 8 mph | 2 |
| Sat, Sep 5 | 🌨️ Light snow showers | 49° / 40° | 39% · 0,4 in | 10 mph | 1 |
| Sun, Sep 6 | 🌦️ Light showers | 57° / 43° | 40% · 0,4 in | 9 mph | 2 |
| Mon, Sep 7 | 🌨️ Light snow showers | 50° / 39° | 39% · 0,5 in | 13 mph | 4 |
| Tue, Sep 8 | 🌨️ Light snow showers | 44° / 37° | 29% · 0,0 in | 4 mph | 3 |
| Wed, Sep 9 | ☁️ Overcast | 51° / 36° | 68% | 7 mph | 4 |
Climate in Wanaka month by month
Average high, average low and total rainfall, based on three years of reanalysis data.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rainfall | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 71° | 54° | 5,2 in | ★★★★☆ |
| February | 71° | 54° | 2,3 in | ★★★★☆ |
| March | 67° | 51° | 3,5 in | ★★★★☆ |
| April | 61° | 47° | 4,6 in | ★★★☆☆ |
| May | 54° | 42° | 4,3 in | ★★★☆☆ |
| June | 48° | 39° | 4,0 in | ★★★☆☆ |
| July | 46° | 37° | 4,0 in | ★★☆☆☆ |
| August | 49° | 37° | 2,2 in | ★★★☆☆ |
| September | 54° | 38° | 11,3 in | ★★☆☆☆ |
| October | 57° | 42° | 9,4 in | ★★☆☆☆ |
| November | 64° | 48° | 4,4 in | ★★★★☆ |
| December | 69° | 52° | 5,2 in | ★★★★☆ |
Climate type: Temperate. Source: Open-Meteo archive (ERA5).
Weather map for Wanaka
Animated model layers. Pick a layer to load it.
Animated layers by Windy. For pin-level detail and nearby places, see the interactive map below.
Air quality and pollen in Wanaka
Air quality: Open-Meteo (CAMS). US AQI scale.
Sun, twilight and moon
Golden and blue hour are the standard photographic approximation around sunrise and sunset.
Best time to visit Wanaka
Go in February and March. These months score highest on comfortable temperatures, low rainfall and useful daylight.
Hardest months: July, September and October - expect the least comfortable mix of heat, cold or rain.
Explore Wanaka
Every topic we hold for this place, and the same topic for the places around it.
Weather for related places
Frequently asked questions
Where is Wanaka?
Wanaka is a city in Otago. Its coordinates are -44.7032, 169.1321. It lies in Oceania.
What is the weather like in Wanaka right now?
It is currently 59°F (15°C) with partly cloudy. Humidity is 49% and wind is 10 mph.
When is the best time to visit Wanaka?
February and March offer the most comfortable conditions in Wanaka, which has a temperate climate. July, September and October are usually the hardest months for outdoor plans.
What time zone is Wanaka in?
Wanaka observes Pacific/Auckland (UTC+12:00). The local time is 11:05 PM.
How many people live in Wanaka?
Wanaka has a population of approximately 9.500.
What is the nearest airport to Wanaka?
The closest airports are Queenstown Airport (ZQN), 29 mi away.
What are the top things to do in Wanaka?
Popular options include Lake Wakatipu, Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand, Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park, South Island and Aoraki / Mount Cook.
Related articles
Data sources and methodology
| Place data | USPOTUS Atlas dataset (cities-supported) - coordinates, hierarchy and facts. |
|---|---|
| Forecast and observations | Open-Meteo (ECMWF and national models). |
| Air quality and pollen | Copernicus CAMS via Open-Meteo. US AQI scale. |
| Climate averages | ERA5 reanalysis via the Open-Meteo archive, aggregated over 3 years. |
| Method | Scores, comparisons and advice on this page are computed from the inputs above. Distances are straight-line. Nothing is estimated where data is missing - the block is simply not shown. |
Last updated August 25, 2026 at 11:05 PM local time. Live blocks refresh every 15 minutes; climate averages monthly.
