Best time to visit Dunedin

Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
I'm comfortable up to 27°C feels-like
22° heat-averse 30° heat-loving

Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.

Saved to this browser. Changes update the strips below.
Recent · 2020-2024
Interest Google Trends 2021-2025 searches, not arrivals (?)
Day · avg daily high (?)
Night · avg overnight low (?)
UV index · On a typical day around midday, UV is about this (?)
764211113467
On the sunniest 1 in 10 days, UV reaches this — and even higher
109644689
PM2.5 air quality · on a typical day (?)
654433443455
On the worst 1 in 10 days, PM2.5 reaches this — and even higher
877655767778
February 7/10 feels 17°C (+1°C vs 1991-2020) · HCI 70/100
Day 19° · Night 11° 71% humidity 24 km/h wind 10 rain days (130h) 211h sun
Thermal 6
Sky 8
Rain 7
Wind 9

Higher = better, including rain & wind (green = "doesn't hurt the score", not "lots of it").

How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.

Compare with another destination

Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.

Tours in Dunedin

6 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you.

  1. 1Clearwater Wildlife Tours (small group 10max) Otago Peninsula4.94★ (680)4hfrom $133🔥 Selling fast
  2. 2Delicious walking food tour of Dunedin4.86★ (21)3h 30mfrom $133🔥 Selling fast
  3. 3Mainland Peninsula Tour4.91★ (75)6h 30mfrom $172🔥 Selling fast
  4. 4Twilight at the Opera4.71★ (7)1h 30mfrom $44🔥 Selling fast
  5. 5Blue Penguins Pukekura Experience Otago Peninsula, New Zealand4.95★ (508)1h 30mfrom $33
  6. 6Speight's Brewery Tour & Guided Tasting4.85★ (637)1h 15mfrom $27

Last refreshed 2026-06-08.

Similar climatesWellington91% · Taupo90% · Christchurch89%

Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Dunedin (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Dunedin's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.

Month-by-month

Month Temp °C Feels °C Rain days Rain h Rain h/day Humidity Wind km/h Sun h UV Interest Score
Jan 11–19 17 13 137 10.5 70% 25 248 7 Quiet 7
Feb 11–19 17 10 130 13.0 71% 24 211 6 Moderate 7
Mar 10–17 14 13 140 10.8 69% 24 203 4 Moderate 6
Apr 8–15 13 10 103 10.3 70% 23 178 2 Quiet 7
May 6–13 10 11 122 11.1 72% 21 154 1 Quiet 6
Jun 4–11 7 13 124 9.5 76% 21 131 1 Quiet 5
Jul 4–10 6 13 167 12.8 75% 24 137 1 Quiet 4
Aug 4–11 8 11 114 10.4 70% 21 167 1 Busy 6
Sep 5–13 9 15 140 9.3 67% 26 198 3 Quiet 5
Oct 6–14 11 13 163 12.5 70% 25 216 4 Moderate 5
Nov 8–16 13 15 166 11.1 71% 24 234 6 Peak 6
Dec 10–17 15 18 200 11.1 72% 25 225 7 Moderate 5

UV Index in Dunedin by Month

UV index in Dunedin peaks at 7 (high) in January, dropping to 1 (low) in June. January, February, December have high UV — SPF 30+ and sunglasses recommended.

Best months in detail

February

7/10

11–19°C (feels 17°C) · 10 rain days (130h) · 211 sun hours · 71% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 6 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

January

7/10

11–19°C (feels 17°C) · 13 rain days (137h) · 248 sun hours · 70% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 10 (very high)

April

7/10

8–15°C (feels 13°C) · 10 rain days (103h) · 178 sun hours · 70% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)

Every month

Show the other 9 months in detail

March

6/10

10–17°C (feels 14°C) · 13 rain days (140h) · 203 sun hours · 69% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)

May

6/10

6–13°C (feels 10°C) · 11 rain days (122h) · 154 sun hours · 72% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

June

5/10

4–11°C (feels 7°C) · 13 rain days (124h) · 131 sun hours · 76% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

July

4/10

4–10°C (feels 6°C) · 13 rain days (167h) · 137 sun hours · 75% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

August

6/10

4–11°C (feels 8°C) · 11 rain days (114h) · 167 sun hours · 70% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 1 (low)

September

5/10

5–13°C (feels 9°C) · 15 rain days (140h) · 198 sun hours · 67% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)

October

5/10

6–14°C (feels 11°C) · 13 rain days (163h) · 216 sun hours · 70% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (moderate)

November

6/10

8–16°C (feels 13°C) · 15 rain days (166h) · 234 sun hours · 71% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 6 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (high)

December

5/10

10–17°C (feels 15°C) · 18 rain days (200h) · 225 sun hours · 72% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

Frequently asked questions about visiting Dunedin

When is the best time to visit Dunedin?

February is the highest-scoring month (7/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 11–19°C (10 rainy days). The top three months by score are February, January, April.

What is the worst time to visit Dunedin?

July is the lowest-scoring month (4/10). Typical conditions: 4–10°C (13 rainy days).

When are crowds lowest in Dunedin?

Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in January and peaks in November. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.

Which months in Dunedin have good weather but fewer tourists?

January (climate 7/10, crowd index 0) and April (climate 7/10, crowd index 27) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.

What is the UV index in Dunedin by month?

UV peaks at 7 (high) in January and is lowest in June at 1 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 7, Feb 6, Mar 4, Apr 2, May 1, Jun 1, Jul 1, Aug 1, Sep 3, Oct 4, Nov 6, Dec 7.

What is the UV index in Dunedin in January?

January is the peak UV month in Dunedin, with a daily-peak UV index of 7 (high). Apply SPF 30+, wear sunglasses, and seek shade during midday hours.

How high can UV get in Dunedin on the sunniest days?

Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. January is the worst case: typical days average UV 7 (high), but the top 10% of days reach UV 10 (very high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: January, February, March, April, September, October, November, December. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.