Mount Taranaki and National Park are situated in the southwest of New Zealand's North Island. Therefore, it is directly exposed to all weather conditions that are caused by the Tasman Sea. Very common are western and northern winds that lead to orographic rainfall around the peak. In fact, Taranaki is considered to have the strongest winds in the country.
Due to the rise in altitude, Taranaki experiences different temperatures according to elevation. Lowlands that are located in the outer rainforest belt, have moderate temperatures of about 20°C during summer months. In the winter, mean temperatures lie between 7°C and 8°C.
It is said that with every 100 m of altitude, the air temperature sinks by 0.5 to 0.6°C. Therefore, mean annual temperatures at the summit of Taranaki behave accordingly and range from 6°C to 7°C. During the winter, these temperatures often fall below zero.
The precipitation within the park is highest in the winter and may occur in form of rain, hail, and snow. In contrast, drier periods exist in the summer. Nevertheless, rain may be brought by western winds at any time of the year and may affect certain areas more than others. The annual mean precipitation is assumed to be about 2000 mm a year.