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Reykjavík vs Rotorua
Comparing Reykjavík change · Rotorua change
Rotorua is the warmer of the two — about 7°C on the annual average; Reykjavík is the wetter, with 513 mm more rain a year, and Rotorua the sunnier.
How the seasons compare
The differences between Reykjavík and Rotorua, in everyday terms.
Summers
Rotorua has far hotter summers
Reykjavík: Cool
Rotorua: Mild
Winters
Rotorua has milder winters
Reykjavík: Cold
Rotorua: Chilly
Rain & snow
Reykjavík is wetter
Reykjavík: Wet
Rotorua: Moderate rainfall
Sky
Rotorua is sunnier
Reykjavík: Often grey
Rotorua: Often cloudy
Month-by-month charts
Temperature
Rotorua is the warmer of the two — about 7°C on the annual average.
Precipitation
Reykjavík is the wetter — about 513 mm more across the year.
Clear skies
Rotorua has the clearer skies — the higher line.
Exact monthly numbers
Tap a metric to open its full table. Desktop shows all twelve months; on a phone each metric splits into Jan–Jun and Jul–Dec.
Avg high (°C) Rotorua runs higher most of the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
| Rotorua | 23 | 23 | 21 | 17 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 21 |
| Difference | +20 | +20 | +17 | +11 | +5 | — | -3 | -2 | +3 | +9 | +14 | +17 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 12 |
| Rotorua | 23 | 23 | 21 | 17 | 14 | 12 |
| Difference | +20 | +20 | +17 | +11 | +5 | — |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 14 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
| Rotorua | 11 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 21 |
| Difference | -3 | -2 | +3 | +9 | +14 | +17 |
Avg low (°C) Varies through the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | -1 | -2 | -2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | -1 |
| Rotorua | 11 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| Difference | +13 | +14 | +11 | +6 | +1 | -3 | -6 | -6 | -2 | +3 | +7 | +11 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | -1 | -2 | -2 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| Rotorua | 11 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| Difference | +13 | +14 | +11 | +6 | +1 | -3 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 9 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | -1 |
| Rotorua | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
| Difference | -6 | -6 | -2 | +3 | +7 | +11 |
Precipitation (mm) Reykjavík runs higher most of the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 133 | 127 | 109 | 75 | 93 | 50 | 95 | 135 | 128 | 114 | 149 | 123 |
| Rotorua | 63 | 50 | 55 | 65 | 77 | 82 | 84 | 75 | 66 | 67 | 58 | 77 |
| Difference | -70 | -77 | -54 | -11 | -16 | +32 | -11 | -60 | -62 | -47 | -91 | -46 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 133 | 127 | 109 | 75 | 93 | 50 |
| Rotorua | 63 | 50 | 55 | 65 | 77 | 82 |
| Difference | -70 | -77 | -54 | -11 | -16 | +32 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 95 | 135 | 128 | 114 | 149 | 123 |
| Rotorua | 84 | 75 | 66 | 67 | 58 | 77 |
| Difference | -11 | -60 | -62 | -47 | -91 | -46 |
Snowfall (cm)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 28 | 40 | 29 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 30 |
| Rotorua | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Difference | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 28 | 40 | 29 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Rotorua | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Difference | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 30 |
| Rotorua | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Difference | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Cloud cover (%) Reykjavík runs higher most of the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 85 | 82 | 82 | 79 | 76 | 79 | 81 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 82 | 84 |
| Rotorua | 69 | 70 | 68 | 67 | 65 | 66 | 68 | 69 | 72 | 73 | 75 | 76 |
| Difference | -16 | -13 | -14 | -11 | -11 | -14 | -13 | -11 | -7 | -5 | -7 | -9 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 85 | 82 | 82 | 79 | 76 | 79 |
| Rotorua | 69 | 70 | 68 | 67 | 65 | 66 |
| Difference | -16 | -13 | -14 | -11 | -11 | -14 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 81 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 82 | 84 |
| Rotorua | 68 | 69 | 72 | 73 | 75 | 76 |
| Difference | -13 | -11 | -7 | -5 | -7 | -9 |
Relative humidity (%) Varies through the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 88 | 87 | 86 | 84 | 83 | 83 | 85 | 86 | 86 | 88 | 88 | 88 |
| Rotorua | 69 | 70 | 74 | 82 | 87 | 91 | 91 | 88 | 86 | 82 | 76 | 74 |
| Difference | -19 | -17 | -12 | -3 | +4 | +7 | +6 | +3 | -1 | -6 | -11 | -14 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 88 | 87 | 86 | 84 | 83 | 83 |
| Rotorua | 69 | 70 | 74 | 82 | 87 | 91 |
| Difference | -19 | -17 | -12 | -3 | +4 | +7 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 85 | 86 | 86 | 88 | 88 | 88 |
| Rotorua | 91 | 88 | 86 | 82 | 76 | 74 |
| Difference | +6 | +3 | -1 | -6 | -11 | -14 |
How both climates are changing
Both cities are warming. Each city has its own warming trend; see its trends page for the year-by-year detail. Reykjavík trends → · Rotorua trends →
Methodology & sources
Reykjavík
Temperature & precipitation — 1991–2020 normals computed from 11 years of daily observations at Keflavik, a weather station, about 39 km from the city centre. The underlying daily records come from NOAA's global station network.
Cloud, humidity, wind & sunshine — modelled estimates from NASA POWER, NASA's satellite-and-reanalysis climatology. This is the standard global source for atmospheric variables, which are not measured at most weather stations.
Rotorua
Temperature & precipitation — 1991–2020 normals computed from 24 years of daily observations at Taupo Aws, a weather station, about 68 km from the city centre. The underlying daily records come from NOAA's global station network.
Cloud, humidity, wind & sunshine — modelled estimates from NASA POWER, NASA's satellite-and-reanalysis climatology. This is the standard global source for atmospheric variables, which are not measured at most weather stations.
← change Reykjavík · change Rotorua → · Reykjavík page · Rotorua page