NIWA

Climate, Freshwater & Ocean Science

NIWA

Matariki viewing prospects

21 June 2022
NIWA meteorologists say people living in the lower North Island and eastern South Island are likely to get the best views of the Matariki star cluster during the upcoming weekend.
Climate
Maori
Weather
Read all news releases...

Seen a stunning sunrise or sunset lately? The Tongan volcano may be the cause

15 June 2022
The Tongan volcanic eruption may be responsible for New Zealand’s unusually vibrant sunrises and sunsets, say NIWA scientists.
Atmosphere
Climate
Read all news releases...

In the snow: new tool to advise New Zealanders of snow conditions

10 June 2022
A new tool giving near real-time snow data has been made available to the public for the first time.
Climate
Ice
Weather
Read all news releases...

Popular services and publications

UV index
Tide forecaster
Cam-era
NiwaWeather
Seasonal Climate Outlook
Our services

More top stories

9 June 2022

Demand grows for NIWA’s Riparian Management Training

NIWA has updated and restarted a course using a riparian planning tool developed by one of its former chief scientists more than 20 years ago.  

9 June 2022
Media Release

Ki uta ki tai: NIWA’s role in mountains-to-sea estuarine management

Estuaries are coastal waterbodies where freshwater mixes with seawater. Many estuaries in Aotearoa New Zealand have been impacted by pollutants and contaminants entering via freshwater.
31 May 2022
Media Release

Snapped! Tag reveals fish’s 20-year history

A fish has been caught in the same location that it was tagged, nearly 20 years ago to the day.
23 May 2022
Media Release

Tonga eruption discoveries defy expectations

New findings from the record-breaking Tongan volcanic eruption are “surprising and unexpected”, say scientists from New Zealand’s National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).
Read all news releases...
Read all news releases...

What happened in the South Pacific's Big Bang?

NIWA scientists and The Nippon Foundation have been on a mission to discover the undersea impacts of the Hunga Tonga - Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption.

Follow the Tonga underwater survey voyage on board the RV Tangaroa

Features

Open wide: snapper teeth secrets

3 May 2022

NIWA and University of Auckland masters student Georgia Third is getting up close and personal with snapper guts and teeth to understand the differences between biologically distinct snapper populations in New Zealand.

Going easy on the scallops

Going easy on the scallops

31 May 2022
From scallop beds to trawl nets, a little bit of data science can make a big difference. Melissa Bray explains.

The search for answers in the ice

The search for answers in the ice

31 May 2022
Jessica Rowley talks to three NIWA researchers trying to piece together what’s happening to the world’s largest ice shelf.

Tracking an eruption

Tracking an eruption

30 May 2022
Stacy Mohan looks at how the shockwaves from a remote Tongan island rippled through NIWA’s research community.