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Reykjavík vs Rotorua
Comparing Reykjavík change · Rotorua change
Rotorua is the warmer of the two — about 12°F on the annual average; Reykjavík is the wetter, with 20 in 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 12°F on the annual average.
Precipitation
Reykjavík is the wetter — about 20 in 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 (°F) Rotorua runs higher most of the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 38 | 37 | 38 | 44 | 49 | 54 | 57 | 56 | 52 | 45 | 40 | 38 |
| Rotorua | 73 | 73 | 69 | 63 | 58 | 53 | 52 | 53 | 57 | 61 | 65 | 69 |
| Difference | +36 | +36 | +31 | +19 | +9 | -1 | -5 | -3 | +5 | +15 | +25 | +31 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 38 | 37 | 38 | 44 | 49 | 54 |
| Rotorua | 73 | 73 | 69 | 63 | 58 | 53 |
| Difference | +36 | +36 | +31 | +19 | +9 | -1 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 57 | 56 | 52 | 45 | 40 | 38 |
| Rotorua | 52 | 53 | 57 | 61 | 65 | 69 |
| Difference | -5 | -3 | +5 | +15 | +25 | +31 |
Avg low (°F) Varies through the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 29 | 28 | 29 | 34 | 39 | 44 | 47 | 47 | 43 | 37 | 32 | 31 |
| Rotorua | 52 | 53 | 49 | 44 | 41 | 38 | 36 | 37 | 40 | 43 | 45 | 50 |
| Difference | +23 | +25 | +20 | +10 | +2 | -6 | -12 | -11 | -4 | +6 | +13 | +20 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 29 | 28 | 29 | 34 | 39 | 44 |
| Rotorua | 52 | 53 | 49 | 44 | 41 | 38 |
| Difference | +23 | +25 | +20 | +10 | +2 | -6 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 47 | 47 | 43 | 37 | 32 | 31 |
| Rotorua | 36 | 37 | 40 | 43 | 45 | 50 |
| Difference | -12 | -11 | -4 | +6 | +13 | +20 |
Precipitation (in) Reykjavík runs higher most of the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 5.2 | 5 | 4.3 | 3 | 3.7 | 2 | 3.8 | 5.3 | 5 | 4.5 | 5.9 | 4.9 |
| Rotorua | 2.5 | 2 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 3 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 3 |
| Difference | -2.8 | -3 | -2.1 | -0.4 | -0.6 | +1.2 | -0.4 | -2.4 | -2.4 | -1.9 | -3.6 | -1.8 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 5.2 | 5 | 4.3 | 3 | 3.7 | 2 |
| Rotorua | 2.5 | 2 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 3 | 3.2 |
| Difference | -2.8 | -3 | -2.1 | -0.4 | -0.6 | +1.2 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 3.8 | 5.3 | 5 | 4.5 | 5.9 | 4.9 |
| Rotorua | 3.3 | 3 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 3 |
| Difference | -0.4 | -2.4 | -2.4 | -1.9 | -3.6 | -1.8 |
Snowfall (in)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 10.8 | 15.8 | 11.4 | 4.6 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 8.2 | 11.9 |
| Rotorua | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Difference | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 10.8 | 15.8 | 11.4 | 4.6 | 0.4 | 0 |
| Rotorua | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Difference | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 8.2 | 11.9 |
| 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