Te Anau records about 1200mm of rain across roughly 135 wet days a year, which is a 37% chance on an average day. May is the wettest month at 102mm (9% of the annual total) and February the driest at 68mm. Local rain type: steady rain. Te Anau is the gateway to Fiordland — one of the world's wettest regions. Prepare for rain on any day and consider it part of the spectacular landscape.
Chance of rain on an average day: 37%
Rainfall climatology for Te Anau. The live hour-by-hour answer for today loads at the top of this page from Open-Meteo and refreshes through the day — the figures below describe a typical year, not today.
Last updated: · Live forecast data refreshes hourly.
| Annual rainfall | 1200mm |
| Rain days per year | 135 |
| Odds on an average day | 37% |
| Wettest month | May — 102mm over 13 days |
| Driest month | February — 68mm over 9 days |
| Rain type | steady rain |
| Best dry window | January and February offer the warmest, somewhat drier conditions. |
| Worst rain window | May through July brings cooler, darker, wetter conditions. |
May delivers 50% more rain than February (102mm vs 68mm). That gap is the difference between planning around showers and ignoring them.
No single month holds more than 9% of the annual total, so rain in Te Anau is spread through the year — there is no season you can rely on being dry.
Te Anau rain typically comes as discrete showers, so a compact umbrella and a flexible plan are usually enough.
Rain falls on about 13 days in May against 9 in February — the frequency swing matters more for planning than the millimetre totals.
Climate normals. Use them to judge whether today's live forecast at the top of the page is typical or unusual for the season.
| Month | Rainfall | Rain days | Chance on a given day | Highs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 85mm | 11 | 37% | 19°C |
| February | 68mm | 9 | 30% | 19°C |
| March | 82mm | 11 | 37% | 17°C |
| April | 95mm | 12 | 40% | 15°C |
| May | 102mm | 13 | 43% | 11°C |
| June | 92mm | 12 | 40% | 9°C |
| July | 88mm | 11 | 37% | 7°C |
| August | 88mm | 11 | 37% | 7°C |
| September | 85mm | 11 | 37% | 9°C |
| October | 92mm | 12 | 40% | 11°C |
| November | 85mm | 11 | 37% | 15°C |
| December | 90mm | 12 | 40% | 17°C |
Rain probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm falls at your location — not how long it rains. For Te Anau we combine the hourly probability curve, expected volume in millimetres, and the city's own rainfall record into a single umbrella verdict.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly probability | 40% | Peak and sustained chance of measurable rain across the next 24 hours. |
| Expected volume | 30% | Total millimetres, which separates a passing shower from a genuine soaking. |
| Timing & duration | 20% | When rain starts, when it eases, and the longest continuous dry window. |
| Local rain type | 10% | Drizzle, brief showers, thunderstorms or monsoon — each needs different gear. |
Live hourly values come from Open-Meteo and refresh through the day. Monthly rainfall figures are climate normals, so they describe a typical year rather than a forecast.
Te Anau records rain on roughly 135 days a year — about a 37% chance on any given day — totalling around 1200mm.
May, with about 102mm over 13 rain days. That is 9% of the entire year's rainfall in a single month.
February is the driest month at 68mm across roughly 9 days. January and February offer the warmest, somewhat drier conditions.
Te Anau is the gateway to Fiordland — one of the world's wettest regions. Prepare for rain on any day and consider it part of the spectacular landscape.
No. Probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm of rain falls at your location at some point in the period. Check the expected millimetres alongside it: 40% with 0.4mm is a passing shower, 40% with 12mm is a soaking.