South Island Weather Forecast
South Island weather: 40°F, partly cloudy. Hourly forecast, 14-day outlook, UV, air quality and the best time to visit.
Summary
South Island is an island in New Zealand. South Island is an island known for Southern Alps, fiords and glaciers.
Right now it is 40°F (5°C) in South Island with partly cloudy. It feels like 36°F. Today runs from 39°F to 48°F. Chance of precipitation is 55%. Sightseeing conditions score 6.6/10 - fair - plan around the weather.
The best time to visit South Island is February. The climate is subarctic. June, July and October tend to be the least comfortable months. February is the warmest month with average highs near 66°F, while July is the coldest with lows near 29°F.
The closest major airport is Queenstown Airport (ZQN), about 114 mi away. Nearby highlights include Aoraki / Mount Cook, Lake Wakatipu, Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand and Milford Sound.
In plain terms. Today is slightly cooler than average for October. The forecast high of 48°F is 4.1°F below the 52°F typical for this month. The best window to be outside is roughly 4 PM to 7 PM, when temperature, rain chance and wind line up best. fishing is the strongest bet in South Island today at 8.9/10. No weather-related travel disruption is expected today. Roads and airports should run normally.
Compiled from this page's own data: atlas facts plus live Open-Meteo readings.
Weather in South Island right now
Source: Open-Meteo. Updated 3:44 AM, Oct 4 local time.
See the South Island forecast by time range
Next 24 hours
Hour-by-hour temperature, precipitation chance and wind.
16-day forecast for South Island
Daily highs and lows, precipitation and UV.
| Day | Conditions | High / Low | Precip | Wind | UV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Oct 3 | ☁️ Overcast | 48° / 39° | 55% | 6 mph | 4 |
| Sun, Oct 4 | ☁️ Overcast | 56° / 33° | 0% | 7 mph | 6 |
| Mon, Oct 5 | 🌤️ Mainly clear | 59° / 37° | 0% | 12 mph | 6 |
| Tue, Oct 6 | ☁️ Overcast | 56° / 36° | 0% | 11 mph | 6 |
| Wed, Oct 7 | 🌦️ Light drizzle | 55° / 40° | 45% · 0,0 in | 11 mph | 5 |
| Thu, Oct 8 | 🌦️ Light drizzle | 47° / 39° | 42% · 0,1 in | 8 mph | 1 |
| Fri, Oct 9 | ☁️ Overcast | 54° / 40° | 6% | 6 mph | 7 |
| Sat, Oct 10 | 🌦️ Light drizzle | 58° / 39° | 4% · 0,1 in | 5 mph | 7 |
| Sun, Oct 11 | ⛅ Partly cloudy | 60° / 44° | 14% | 9 mph | 7 |
| Mon, Oct 12 | ⛅ Partly cloudy | 61° / 44° | 18% | 13 mph | 7 |
| Tue, Oct 13 | ☁️ Overcast | 62° / 40° | 34% | 11 mph | 4 |
| Wed, Oct 14 | ☁️ Overcast | 61° / 42° | 36% | 8 mph | 7 |
| Thu, Oct 15 | 🌦️ Light drizzle | 59° / 46° | 41% · 0,0 in | 11 mph | 7 |
| Fri, Oct 16 | 🌨️ Light snow showers | 50° / 35° | 27% · 0,9 in | 9 mph | 7 |
| Sat, Oct 17 | 🌦️ Light drizzle | 45° / 35° | 17% · 0,1 in | 7 mph | 7 |
| Sun, Oct 18 | ☁️ Overcast | 65° / 32° | 23% | 7 mph | 7 |
Climate in South Island 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 | 65° | 47° | 4,5 in | ★★★★☆ |
| February | 66° | 48° | 2,2 in | ★★★★☆ |
| March | 62° | 45° | 2,8 in | ★★★★☆ |
| April | 56° | 41° | 6,1 in | ★★★☆☆ |
| May | 49° | 35° | 3,8 in | ★★★☆☆ |
| June | 42° | 32° | 5,1 in | ★★☆☆☆ |
| July | 40° | 29° | 5,2 in | ★★☆☆☆ |
| August | 44° | 30° | 4,6 in | ★★☆☆☆ |
| September | 48° | 33° | 6,2 in | ★★☆☆☆ |
| October | 52° | 36° | 10,1 in | ★★☆☆☆ |
| November | 60° | 42° | 3,6 in | ★★★☆☆ |
| December | 63° | 46° | 5,0 in | ★★★★☆ |
Climate type: Subarctic. Source: Open-Meteo archive (ERA5).
Weather map for South Island
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 South Island
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 South Island
Go in February. These months score highest on comfortable temperatures, low rainfall and useful daylight.
Hardest months: June, July and October - expect the least comfortable mix of heat, cold or rain.
Explore South Island
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 South Island?
South Island is an island in New Zealand. Its coordinates are -43.9535, 170.5. It lies in Oceania.
What is the weather like in South Island right now?
It is currently 40°F (5°C) with partly cloudy. Humidity is 94% and wind is 3 mph.
When is the best time to visit South Island?
February offer the most comfortable conditions in South Island, which has a subarctic climate. June, July and October are usually the hardest months for outdoor plans.
What time zone is South Island in?
South Island observes Pacific/Auckland (UTC+13:00). The local time is 3:44 AM.
What is the nearest airport to South Island?
The closest airports are Queenstown Airport (ZQN), 114 mi away.
What are the top things to do in South Island?
Popular options include Aoraki / Mount Cook, Lake Wakatipu, Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand, Milford Sound and Fiordland National Park.
Related articles
Data sources and methodology
| Place data | USPOTUS Atlas dataset (islands) - 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 October 4, 2026 at 3:44 AM local time. Live blocks refresh every 15 minutes; climate averages monthly.
