West Coast Weather Forecast
West Coast weather: 55°F, thunderstorm. Hourly forecast, 14-day outlook, UV, air quality and the best time to visit.
Summary
West Coast is a region in New Zealand. West Coast is a region of New Zealand. It has a population of about 32.000.
Right now it is 55°F (13°C) in West Coast with thunderstorm. It feels like 48°F. Today runs from 46°F to 55°F. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Sightseeing conditions score 6/10 - fair - plan around the weather.
The best time to visit West Coast is February. The climate is temperate. June, July and September tend to be the least comfortable months. January is the warmest month with average highs near 68°F, while August is the coldest with lows near 39°F.
The closest major airport is Queenstown Airport (ZQN), about 216 mi away. Nearby highlights include Aoraki / Mount Cook, South Island, Lake Wakatipu and Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand.
In plain terms. Today is about average for August. The forecast high of 55°F is in line with the 54°F typical for this month. The best window to be outside is roughly 11 AM to 2 PM, when temperature, rain chance and wind line up best. fishing is the strongest bet in West Coast today at 8/10. Gusts to 47 mph will push high-sided vehicles on exposed roads and bridges. 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 West Coast
Derived from the forecast. No official alert feed is wired for this country yet.
Weather in West Coast right now
Source: Open-Meteo. Updated 10:17 AM, Aug 23 local time.
See the West Coast forecast by time range
Next 24 hours
Hour-by-hour temperature, precipitation chance and wind.
16-day forecast for West Coast
Daily highs and lows, precipitation and UV.
| Day | Conditions | High / Low | Precip | Wind | UV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Aug 22 | ⛈️ Thunderstorm | 55° / 46° | 100% · 1,2 in | 23 mph | 1 |
| Sun, Aug 23 | ⛈️ Thunderstorm | 55° / 44° | 100% · 1,3 in | 29 mph | 4 |
| Mon, Aug 24 | 🌦️ Drizzle | 55° / 42° | 87% · 0,1 in | 14 mph | 3 |
| Tue, Aug 25 | 🌧️ Showers | 57° / 51° | 98% · 0,8 in | 17 mph | 1 |
| Wed, Aug 26 | 🌧️ Showers | 58° / 54° | 100% · 1,1 in | 17 mph | 2 |
| Thu, Aug 27 | 🌧️ Showers | 56° / 53° | 100% · 1,8 in | 17 mph | 1 |
| Fri, Aug 28 | ⛈️ Thunderstorm | 58° / 54° | 92% · 2,6 in | 23 mph | 0 |
| Sat, Aug 29 | 🌦️ Light showers | 56° / 51° | 73% · 0,4 in | 18 mph | 3 |
| Sun, Aug 30 | 🌦️ Light showers | 51° / 47° | 73% · 0,7 in | 18 mph | 3 |
| Mon, Aug 31 | 🌦️ Drizzle | 57° / 50° | 50% · 0,3 in | 15 mph | 2 |
| Tue, Sep 1 | 🌦️ Drizzle | 56° / 53° | 67% · 0,4 in | 19 mph | 4 |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 🌧️ Heavy drizzle | 53° / 45° | 71% · 0,4 in | 14 mph | 3 |
| Thu, Sep 3 | ☁️ Overcast | 55° / 43° | 54% | 7 mph | 3 |
| Fri, Sep 4 | 🌦️ Light showers | 56° / 48° | 51% · 0,9 in | 14 mph | 1 |
| Sat, Sep 5 | 🌧️ Showers | 57° / 50° | 57% · 1,2 in | 12 mph | 2 |
| Sun, Sep 6 | 🌧️ Showers | 56° / 48° | 55% · 0,7 in | 17 mph | 1 |
Climate in West Coast 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 | 68° | 55° | 8,9 in | ★★★☆☆ |
| February | 67° | 54° | 5,4 in | ★★★★☆ |
| March | 64° | 52° | 6,2 in | ★★★☆☆ |
| April | 62° | 50° | 11,9 in | ★★☆☆☆ |
| May | 58° | 45° | 6,5 in | ★★★☆☆ |
| June | 55° | 43° | 11,5 in | ★★☆☆☆ |
| July | 54° | 41° | 8,8 in | ★★☆☆☆ |
| August | 54° | 39° | 7,8 in | ★★☆☆☆ |
| September | 56° | 45° | 14,5 in | ★★☆☆☆ |
| October | 58° | 46° | 14,5 in | ★★☆☆☆ |
| November | 62° | 49° | 9,2 in | ★★★☆☆ |
| December | 65° | 54° | 11,7 in | ★★★☆☆ |
Climate type: Temperate. Source: Open-Meteo archive (ERA5).
Weather map for West Coast
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 West Coast
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 West Coast
Go in February. These months score highest on comfortable temperatures, low rainfall and useful daylight.
Hardest months: June, July and September - expect the least comfortable mix of heat, cold or rain.
Explore West Coast
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 West Coast?
West Coast is a region in New Zealand. Its coordinates are -42.45, 171.21. It lies in Oceania.
What is the weather like in West Coast right now?
It is currently 55°F (13°C) with thunderstorm. Humidity is 97% and wind is 21 mph.
When is the best time to visit West Coast?
February offer the most comfortable conditions in West Coast, which has a temperate climate. June, July and September are usually the hardest months for outdoor plans.
What time zone is West Coast in?
West Coast observes Pacific/Auckland (UTC+12:00). The local time is 10:17 AM.
How many people live in West Coast?
West Coast has a population of approximately 32.000.
What is the nearest airport to West Coast?
The closest airports are Queenstown Airport (ZQN), 216 mi away.
What are the top things to do in West Coast?
Popular options include Aoraki / Mount Cook, South Island, Lake Wakatipu, Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand and Milford Sound.
Related articles
Data sources and methodology
| Place data | USPOTUS Atlas dataset (nz-regions) - 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 23, 2026 at 10:17 AM local time. Live blocks refresh every 15 minutes; climate averages monthly.
