Recently we’ve been looking at the different climates of various regions and cities across the country and today, courtesy of emigratenz.org, we take a look at Christchurch and what the heavens can offer for those visiting Canterbury.

Christchurch enjoys a temperate, relatively dry climate with rain falling on fewer days than New Zealand’s other major cities. The climate is comfortable all year round, although winter nights can be chilly and frosts are much more common in Christchurch than in Wellington or Auckland.

When it’s frosty in Christchurch wind conditions tend to be calm, so frosty mornings in Christchurch are often followed by glorious, sunny winter days. Norwester winds are possible at any time of year. The norwester is a fohn type wind – hot and dry – from the Southern Alps that can raise the temperature by 10 or 15 degrees centigrade within an hour or so.

Christchurch sits on a latitude of 43.3 degrees South. Cities on similar latitudes in the Northern hemisphere include Monte Carlo, Monaco and Boston, Massachusetts. Christchurch is cooler in summer than these northern hemisphere cities because of the moderating effects of the surrounding Pacific Ocean.