Climate & Weather

Understanding our variable and changing climate is critical for managing resources and reducing risks.

Drought forecasting dashboard

NIWA and MPI are working together to develop a new drought forecasting tool. It uses innovative climate modelling, the latest in machine learning and other data-driven techniques to predict rainfall 35 days ahead. It will help farmers and growers better prepare for periods of dryness and drought.

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  • Link to source page

    Post-conference field trip #1 - Kauri and the Quaternary of Northland

    Details about the post-conference field trip that made a loop around Northland

  • Link to source page

    Tropical winds yield late-July record warmth

    Media release
    25 July 2016
    A number of temperature records toppled across New Zealand over the weekend as tropical winds from New Caledonia and Vanuatu streamed over the country.

  • Link to source page

    Atmospheric river of moisture headed for New Zealand

    News article
    06 July 2016
    A series of low pressure systems will trek across the Tasman from tonight into the weekend, resulting in locally heavy rain and the potential for flooding and slips for the east of the North Island.

  • Link to source page

    Dear diary: A pioneer of meteorology

    Feature story
    30 June 2016
    The discovery of diaries of an English missionary living in Northland in the 1800s reveals him as New Zealand’s first meteorologist.

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    Record-breaking mid-winter warmth

    News article
    23 June 2016
    NIWA Meteorologist Ben Noll takes a north-to-south look at the record-breaking warm temperatures experienced by Kiwis during the winter solstice.

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    New Zealand reaches climate change milestone

    News article
    07 June 2016
    An important scientific milestone was reached on a windswept point at the bottom of the North Island this week.

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    NIWA's Hotspot Watch

    Hotspot
    18 April 2016
    Across the North Island, soil moisture levels have generally remained the same or decreased slightly when compared to this time last week.

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    NIWA's Hotspot Watch 1 April 2016

    Hotspot
    01 April 2016
    Across the North Island, soil moisture levels have generally remained the same or increased when compared to this time last week.

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    Carbonate analysis

    We use various types of carbonate - e.g. aragonite from coral, otoliths (fish ear bones), bivalves (sea shells), and speleothems (limestone cave calcite) - in paleoclimate research.

  • Link to source page

    NIWA's Hotspot Watch

    Hotspot
    29 March 2016
    A weekly update describing soil moisture across the country to help assess whether severely to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing these soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

  • Link to source page

    NIWA's Hotspot Watch

    Hotspot
    18 March 2016
    A weekly update describing soil moisture across the country to help assess whether severely to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing these soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

  • Link to source page

    NIWA's Hotspot Watch

    Hotspot
    11 March 2016
    A weekly update describing soil moisture across the country to help assess whether severely to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent.