South Island Weather Forecast
South Island weather: 40°F, overcast. Hourly forecast, 14-day outlook, UV, air quality and the best time to visit.
Snow forecast for South Island
No snow is in the current forecast window for South Island.
0 of the next 16 nights are forecast to reach freezing.
Historically, average lows drop below freezing in July and August.
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° / 38° | 51% | 7 mph | 2 |
| Sun, Oct 4 | ☁️ Overcast | 55° / 33° | 0% | 7 mph | 6 |
| Mon, Oct 5 | ⛅ Partly cloudy | 58° / 38° | 0% | 11 mph | 6 |
| Tue, Oct 6 | ☁️ Overcast | 56° / 35° | 0% | 10 mph | 6 |
| Wed, Oct 7 | 🌦️ Light drizzle | 56° / 41° | 51% · 0,0 in | 11 mph | 4 |
| Thu, Oct 8 | 🌦️ Light drizzle | 51° / 39° | 42% · 0,1 in | 8 mph | 3 |
| Fri, Oct 9 | ☁️ Overcast | 59° / 38° | 10% | 7 mph | 7 |
| Sat, Oct 10 | 🌦️ Light rain | 57° / 41° | 14% · 0,3 in | 13 mph | 6 |
| Sun, Oct 11 | 🌧️ Rain | 54° / 40° | 25% · 1,0 in | 19 mph | 5 |
| Mon, Oct 12 | ⛅ Partly cloudy | 56° / 33° | 22% | 9 mph | 6 |
| Tue, Oct 13 | ⛅ Partly cloudy | 56° / 35° | 32% | 13 mph | 7 |
| Wed, Oct 14 | 🌦️ Light showers | 54° / 41° | 41% · 0,5 in | 11 mph | 5 |
| Thu, Oct 15 | 🌦️ Light showers | 50° / 37° | 27% · 0,3 in | 9 mph | 7 |
| Fri, Oct 16 | ⛅ Partly cloudy | 52° / 37° | 17% | 4 mph | 7 |
| Sat, Oct 17 | ☁️ Overcast | 58° / 37° | 27% | 11 mph | 7 |
| Sun, Oct 18 | ☀️ Clear sky | -- / -- | 30% | -- | — |
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).
What to pack, what to skip
- A warm mid-layer and gloves for early mornings and evenings
- A packable rain shell - 3 of the next 7 days carry a real chance of rain
- If your dates are flexible, avoid June, July and October - historically the least comfortable months here.
See the South Island forecast by time range
South Island weather - more answers
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 overcast. Humidity is 97% and wind is 4 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 8:08 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 3, 2026 at 8:08 AM local time. Live blocks refresh every 15 minutes; climate averages monthly.
