Raglan weather in December

Auckland forum regulars describe December as genuinely transitional: it can have iffy weather with lingering winter chills, possible spring rain and early summer heat all inside the same month, humid enough to feel “a bit tropical muggy and drizzly” on the wetter days. Days run “early 20s but varies a lot,” with long evenings and early sunrises as summer properly takes hold. Standard packing covers the full range: a warm jumper, long cotton trousers, sturdy shoes and a light rain jacket for windy showery days, alongside genuinely warm-weather gear for the good stretches. The calendar matters as much as the forecast: school holidays start mid-December and Kiwi beach-and-camping season kicks off hard from December 26, so early December beats the holiday rush for a quieter visit. Our record: 21.5°C days, 16.5°C nights, 11.2 rain days and a 20.9°C sea — mild and humid with real rain risk, matching the “transitional, pack for both” read.

Raglan-forum threads on January call it the easy month for a first surf trip: New Zealand's summer brings warm air and warm-enough water that some sessions work in just boardshorts, a change from the wetsuit-year-round reputation the country's south gets. Swells run smaller than the bigger winter groundswells the point break is famous for among experienced surfers, but posters say that's exactly what makes January approachable for someone still building skills - consistent, rideable, less intimidating. The one thing regulars warn newcomers about is the sun itself: New Zealand's UV is unusually strong for the latitude, and more than one thread recommends a rash guard for sun protection rather than warmth. The record: 22C days, 15.8C nights, 98mm across nearly 12 days, a 20.6C sea, 78 percent humidity, wind averaging nearly 25 km/h and over 14 hours of daylight - genuinely long summer days, with rain still a regular feature.