On 1 July 2025, NIWA merged with GNS Science to become Earth Sciences New Zealand.

Climate & Weather

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

Drought forecasting dashboard

The drought forecasting tool uses innovative climate modelling, the latest in machine learning and other data-driven techniques to predict rainfall 35 days ahead. Helping farmers and growers better prepare for periods of dryness and drought.

Climate and weather

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  • Link to source page

    Climate change will cause more deaths from air pollution, study finds

    Media release
    01 August 2017
    New research estimates that if climate change goes unchecked 60,000 more people will die globally from air pollution in 2030 – just 13 years away.
    Climate change

  • Link to source page

    So far, so stormy

    Media release
    13 July 2017
    Today’s low came spinning off the coast of Hawke’s Bay funneling strong winds through the Cook Strait and hitting Wellington region with strong winds before moving on to Taranaki and Auckland this afternoon.
    Climate and weather

  • Link to source page

    Wairarapa drought

    Drought

    Education Resource
    Defining drought and identifying its causes and impacts on humans.
    Climate and weather
    Climate change

  • Link to source page

    What is Ocean acidification?

    NIWA oceanographer Dr Cliff Law explains the impacts of ocean acidification on organisms that use carbonates to build their shells, and on bacteria.
    Antarctica
    Oceans
    Ocean acidification

  • Link to source page

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    Investigating ocean acidification

    Feature story
    06 June 2017
    The world’s oceans are acidifying as a result of the carbon dioxide (CO2) generated by humanity.
    Climate change
    Ocean acidification
    Oceans

  • Link to source page

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    Mean monthly sunshine (hours)

    These datasets are available in a range of formats.

  • Link to source page

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    Taranaki

  • Link to source page

    Generating synthetic wind data

    Research Project
    NIWA has recently created synthetic, multi-year, 10-minute wind datasets at 15 wind farm sites across New Zealand. These will be used by the Electricity Commission to model the impact of wind farms on the national grid.
    Weather forecasting

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    Tornado damage Whenuapai.

    Extreme weather - winds and tornadoes

    Education Resource
    Due to its position in the 'Roaring Forties', a belt of strong winds in the Southern Hemisphere which generally occur between the latitudes of 40 and 49 degrees, as well as its small size, New Zealand is a windy country.
    Weather forecasting
    Hazards
    Weather hazards

  • Link to source page

    Lesson 9: Ngā Tohu o te Taiao – Māori environmental indicators

    Education Resource
    This lesson will explore the use of Māori environmental indicators [tohu] to anticipate local weather and climate conditions.
    Climate and weather
    Weather forecasting

  • Link to source page

    HIRDS-resources-thumbnail

    HIRDSv4 Usage

    NIWA's High Intensity Rainfall Design System (HIRDS) offers planners and engineers more certainty about the frequency of high-intensity rainfall events, enabling them to better design stormwater drainage, flood defence systems and other vital structures.

  • Link to source page

    Snow depth

    Ideas for projects using climate data

    Education Resource
    Ideas for projects using climate data
    Climate data