Climate & Weather

The latest state of the environment report released today provides New Zealanders with clear evidence that our climate, freshwater and marine systems are changing, says NIWA.

Across the North Island, soil moisture levels generally changed little during the past week. In the South Island, increases were observed along most of the West Coast, interior Otago, and Marlborough Sounds, while decreases occurred in Stewart Island.

Across the North Island, soil moisture levels decreased in big parts of the island during the past week due to meagre rainfall. In the South Island, soil moisture decreases were observed across much of the island.

An increase in soil moisture in many areas across the North Island, including Northland, Auckland, Waikato, eastern Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, and Taranaki. No significant change in the South Island. Outlook is for low to moderate rainfall, countrywide.

NIWA today released its March Climate Summary which confirms temperatures during the first month of autumn were at record highs in many places.

Hotspots continue to be found across a large part of Northland, Auckland, northern Waikato, and interior Bay of Plenty, as well as central Manawatu-Whanganui and Napier south to Wairarapa. South Island hotspots are currently located in a portion of interior Marlborough, eastern Banks Peninsula, south coastal Otago and parts of lower Southland.

Project updates

Hotspots are now located across the majority of Northland, Auckland, northern Waikato, and interior Bay of Plenty, as well as central Manawatu-Whanganui and Napier south to Wairarapa. South Island hotspots are now located in a portion of interior Marlborough, eastern Banks Peninsula, and the lower Southland coast.

CarbonWatchNZ will address crucial carbon cycle questions in the three landscapes that are most important to New Zealand’s carbon balance: forest, grassland and urban environments.

A weekly update describing soil moisture across the country to help assess whether severely to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing these soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Weather and climate experts from around the world are meeting in Wellington next week to discuss the critical need for accurate forecasting to cope with a changing climate.