Climate and Geography
Geography of the Bay of
Plenty
The Bay of Plenty region is made up of five main districts, Western Bay of Plenty, Tauranga, Rotorua, Kawerau, Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki with a fraction of the Bay being in the Taupō region.
The Region is bounded by several mountain ranges, with the Kaimai and Manaku Ranges in the West and the Huiarau and Raukumara Ranges in the East and the Pacific Ocean to the north.
The Region is geographically very diverse, the area from Rotorua south towards Taupō is dominated by volcanic landscapes, and this includes more than 10 natural lakes in the vicinity of Rotorua as well as geothermal areas and natural hot springs.
The Bay has several major rivers including the Wairoa,
Kaituna, Tarawera, Rangitaiki, Whakatāne, Waioeka, Otara and the
Mōtū, each river has its own unique behaviour pattern. The Bay has
the privilege of including two large harbours, the Tauranga and
Ōhiwa Harbours and several smaller ones. The Tauranga Harbour and
its port are important assets to the Bay of Plenty both spiritually
and economically. 
Exotic forest dominates much of the upper Rangitāiki Catchment and through towards the Rotorua lakes, much of this being the
Kaingaroa Forest. Vast areas of native forest cover the Urewera National Park and the Raukūmara Ranges, with less extensive areas found in the Kaimai, Mamaku Ranges and in the vicinity of Lake Tarawera.
These areas of forest are a marked contrast to the coastal lowlands, extending from Waihī Beach in the northwest through to Ōpōtiki in the east. This coastal strip supports large areas of highly productive dairy farming and is also well known for its kiwifruit and citrus orchards.
View interactive map of the Bay fo Plenty Region
Bay of Plenty's climate
The Bay of Plenty has a sub-tropical climate with warm humid summers and mild winters. Summer daytime maximum temperatures range from 22°C to 26°C, and seldom exceed 30°C. Winter daytime maximum temperatures range from 9°C to 16°C.
Annual sunshine hours average about 2000 in many areas, but the coastal region from Tauranga to Whakatane is much sunnier with at least 2200 hours, Whakatane in particular is one of the sunniest places in the country.
SW winds prevail for much of the year. Sea breezes often occur on warm summer days. Winter usually has more rain and is the most unsettled time of year. In summer and autumn, storms of tropical origin may bring high winds and heavy rainfall from the east or northeast.
Typical Weather Patterns
Because the Bay of Plenty is sheltered by high country to the west, south and east, day to day variations of the weather are largely determined by the direction of the wind. While high country areas may receive rain with airstreams from any direction, most of the area receives a large part of its annual rainfall during periods of onshore north to northeast winds.
North to Northeast Airstreams
Airstreams from the north to northwest frequently travel long distances over the warm ocean to the north of New Zealand, because of this the air flowing onto the Bay of Plenty at these times is very humid. The whole region is exposed to the north, so these airstreams often produce widespread and heavy rain as the moist air is forced up and over the hill ranges of the North Island.
Tropical Cyclones
Occasionally, during the months November to April, cyclones coming down from the tropics move onto northern New Zealand. Because they come from over very warm tropical oceans, these depressions normally contain very moist air. Although the tropical cyclones change usually loose strength as they move into higher latitudes they may still produce very strong winds and heavy rain.