New Zealand is in the southern hemisphere, so January and February are the warmest months, autumn is from March to May, winter is from June to August, and spring runs from September to November.
The climate is temperate with relatively mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The weather varies a lot between different regions – the far north is subtropical while the south gets icy wind straight from Antarctica.
The mild climate means outdoor recreation is an important part of the Kiwi way of life. Water sports and tramping (hiking) are very popular. In summer, people are encouraged to ‘slip, slop, slap’ - slip on a long-sleeved shirt, slop on some sunblock, and slap on a hat - to protect them from cancer-causing sunburn. It’s easy to get sunburnt here, even on cool or cloudy days, as the sun in New Zealand has strong UV rays.