Weather hazards

Management of stream riparian areas - including vegetation and stock access - influences the health of streams and downstream water bodies.

Dog Island levels

Damming water for urban use, hydro-electric power generation, irrigation, and other industrial and commercial uses.

Whitianga Wharf sea levels

Floods are not unusual in New Zealand, but those that hit us early this winter broke records. Why did they occur? Should we expect more? Can we predict future floods?

Heavy rainfall is one of the most frequent and widespread severe weather hazards to affect New Zealand.

Due to its position in the 'Roaring Forties', a belt of strong winds in the Southern Hemisphere which generally occur between the latitudes of 40 and 49 degrees, as well as its small size, New Zealand is a windy country.

A glossary of common climate change and meteorological terms.

New Zealand has low-lying coastal areas that are vulnerable to inundation (flooding) by the sea.

Information about climate and weather and links to climate-related websites.

River floods occur when water spills from a river channel onto land that is normally dry, and are one of New Zealand's costliest natural hazards.