Climate & Weather

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

  • NIWA's Hotspot Watch

    Hotspot
    Weekly update to help media assess likelihood of extremely dry weather preceding a drought.
  • NIWA's Hotspot Watch 12 December 2014

    Hotspot
    Weekly update to help media assess likelihood of extremely dry weather preceding a drought. Regions experiencing severely to extremely drier than normal soils conditions are deemed “hotspots”.
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    Early Christmas present for Antarctic researchers

    News article
    In a small green laboratory perched on the rocky volcanic southern peninsula of Ross Island, Antarctica, there’s a space waiting for a new shiny, hi-tech Christmas present.
  • NIWA's Hotspot Watch 5 December 2014

    Hotspot
    Weekly update to help media assess likelihood of extremely dry weather preceding a drought. Regions experiencing severely to extremely drier than normal soils conditions are deemed “hotspots”.
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    Scientist turns detective on NZ temperature records

    News article
    A NIWA climate scientist is awaiting a ruling from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) on whether New Zealand’s coldest recorded temperature will be accepted as an official world weather extreme.
  • NIWA's Hotspot Watch 28 November 2014

    Hotspot
    Weekly update to help media assess likelihood of extremely dry weather preceding a drought.
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    Regional climatologies

    Publication series
    A regional climatology is a summary of the typical weather and climate of a region, based on historical data observations made at climate stations located within the region.
  • Chatham Islands

    The weather of the Chatham Islands is marked by rapid changes of conditions, and typically windy cloudy conditions.
  • Nelson and Tasman

    Nelson City and Tasman District are located in the most north-westerly part of the South Island and generally are the first to be influenced by weather systems moving onto the island from the north.
  • Wellington

    The climate and weather of the Wellington region is characterised by strong variations in space and time, strongly influenced by the presence of Cook Straight and the rugged local topography.
  • Taranaki

    The climate of Taranaki is determined largely by its position in relation to the large scale weather patterns affecting New Zealand.
  • Hawkes Bay

    The climate of Hawke’s Bay is influenced largely by the orography and the airstreams crossing New Zealand.