Climate & Weather

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

  • Rain, Sandflies and Takahē

    Takahē Valley in the Murchison Mountains is home to a successful Takahē recovery project run by the Department of Conservation.
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    Tropical cyclone update #2

    News article
    Niwa meteorologists continue to cast a watchful eye over two strengthening tropical cyclones in the South Pacific.
  • NIWA's Hotspot Watch

    Hotspot
    A weekly update describing soil moisture across the country to help assess whether severely to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent.
  • Tropical cyclone update #1

    News article
    NIWA meteorologists are monitoring the potential for ex-tropical cyclones to affect New Zealand early next week.
  • Improving seasonal climate forecasts

    Feature story
    NIWA’s climate scientists are working to improve seasonal climate forecasts.
  • NIWA's Hotspot Watch

    Hotspot
    A weekly update describing soil moisture across the country to help assess whether severely to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent.
  • Meeting the challenge of ocean acidification

    Feature story
    New Zealand’s answer to ocean acidification is a model of the ‘best team’ approach – when organisations pool talent and resources to find solutions to national, or global, issues.]
  • NIWA's Hotspot Watch

    Hotspot
    A weekly update describing soil moisture across the country to help assess whether severely to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent.
  • NIWA's Hotspot Watch

    Hotspot
    Over the past week, soil moisture levels across the North Island have mostly remained the same or increased.
  • Field work and collections

    Climate Present and Past is involved with maintaining nationally important collections and undertaking field work.
  • Extremes

    Although New Zealand is located in a temperate region, the country still experiences extreme climatic conditions from time to time.
  • Trends

    The Earth’s climate experiences changes caused by natural fluctuations as well as human influences. These result in trends over time for different climatic variables.