Temperatures were well above average in parts of the Bay of Plenty in 2025, according to Earth Sciences NZ’s annual climate summary.

It was New Zealand’s fourth-warmest year according to records that began in 1909.

Tauranga was the sunniest and wettest of New Zealand’s main centres, racking up 2633 sunshine hours and 126% of its normal rainfall.

Auckland was the warmest, Christchurch the equal-coolest and Dunedin was the driest, equal-coolest and least sunny of the main centres, according to the summary.

Kawerau in the eastern Bay of Plenty recorded New Zealand’s highest air temperature of 2025, sizzling at 35.6C on December 7.

It was the town’s highest maximum temperature since records began in 1954.

Record heat, rising sea temperatures and extreme weather marked 2025 across New Zealand. Graphic / Earth Sciences NZ

The district also hit a new record high average annual temperature of 16.5C – 1.8C higher than its average.

Whitianga in Coromandel also hit a record average at 16.1C and had its third-highest single-day temperature of 32.2C on December 7.

Areas that set local record average maximum temperatures included Tauranga (20.7C), Kawerau (23.1C) and Whakatāne (20.8C).

Te Puke (20C) and Taupō (19.1C) had their second-highest average maximums and Rotorua (18.4C) its fourth-highest on record.

The Bay of Plenty was the fourth-sunniest region behind Taranaki, Nelson and Marlborough, with sunshine hours being measured in Tauranga.

Above-average rainfall and temperatures are forecast for the Bay of Plenty in the first three months of 2026. Graphic / Earth Sciences NZ

Above-average rainfall and temperatures are forecast for the Bay of Plenty in the first quarter of this year, with a scorcher expected this weekend.

Tauranga and Whakatāne are expected to hit 30C, as is Kawerau, while Rotorua is set for 28C on Saturday.

Bay of Plenty weather in 2025

Rotorua

Rainfall – 1785mm

Mean temperature – 13.4C

Tauranga

Rainfall – 1516mm

Mean temperature – 16.1C

Whakatāne

Rainfall – 1339mm

Mean temperature – 15.7C

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