Climate & Weather

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

  • Hotspot Watch 22 January 2020

    Hotspot
    A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.
  • Hotspot Watch 15 January 2020

    Hotspot
    A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.
  • New Zealand 2019 climate summary

    NIWA climate scientist Nava Fedaeff presents the NIWA annual climate summary for New Zealand 2019.
  • Hotspot Watch 8 January 2020

    Hotspot
    A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.
  • Weathering new technology in Tonga

    Feature story
    There are about 800km between the southern and northern tips of Tonga - and a lot of ocean.
  • Ten years of the weather with you

    Feature story
    In the past 10 years, more weather records have been broken than in any other time in New Zealand’s history.
  • Hotspot Watch 19 December 2019

    Hotspot
    Across the North Island, moderate to large increases in soil moisture levels were observed in many locations due to substantial rainfall in the past week. Across the South Island, substantial rainfall contributed to moderate to large increases in soil moisture levels in the vast majority of the island.
  • ‘Tis the season for a Christmas weather forecast…

    Media release
    If Santa is quick he can hop on a ridge of high pressure for his big trip to New Zealand very soon.
  • Hotspot Watch 11 December 2019

    Hotspot
    Across the North Island, notable increases in soil moisture levels were observed in the southwest, from Taranaki south to Wellington.
  • Hotspot Watch 5 December 2019

    Hotspot
    Across the North Island, notable decreases in soil moisture levels were observed from Northland to Waikato, including the Coromandel Peninsula.
  • Hottest November on record: NIWA climate scientists

    Media release
    New Zealand has just experienced its hottest November on record, according to NIWA climate scientists.
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    Southern Annular Mode

    Education Resource
    The Southern Annular Mod is a ring of climate variability that encircles the South Pole and extends out to the latitudes of New Zealand.