Hazards

Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning great wave in harbour.

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.

Some commonly-asked questions about tornadoes in New Zealand.

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

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?

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

Whitianga Wharf sea levels

A glossary of common climate change and meteorological terms.

Understanding what happens above and below ground during a flooding event, and how it is different from normal rainfall conditions

The current method for calculating wind speed-up is inadequate, and can grossly under-predict correct design wind speeds in NZ's complex terrain.

Antarctica is experiencing stunning skyscapes like those recently seen in New Zealand, thanks to the afterglow effect from the Tongan volcano.