Atmospheric analysis

NIWA’s climate scientists can now confirm what you may have suspected. After carefully poring through more than a century’s worth of data, it has been officially determined that winter 2022 was Aotearoa New Zealand’s warmest and wettest on record.

Tau kōura is a traditional Māori fishing method commonly used to harvest kōura or freshwater crayfish in areas where they are abundant.

Providing educational resources to school students and teachers is part of NIWA's commitment to helping young New Zealanders discover more about science and technology.

The climate of this zone is greatly dependent on the lie of the massive Southern Alps to the west.

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

Longfin eels are the largest and longest-lived fish in New Zealand's freshwaters, and where they are present they are the top predator.

Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is measured continuously at Baring Head, providing the longest running record of this type in the Southern hemisphere.

Information about past climate is obtained from piecing evidence together from various sources.

Temperature affects the number and type of animals and plants that live in a waterway.

The 2012-2013 drought affected the entire North Island plus the west coast of the South Island.