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.

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Understanding and predicting floods and their impacts

    Feature story
    Floods are not unusual in New Zealand, but those that hit us early this winter broke records. Why did they occur? Should we expect more? Can we predict future floods?
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    HIRDSv4 Usage

    ESNZ'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.
  • Wairarapa drought

    Drought

    Education Resource
    Defining drought and identifying its causes and impacts on humans.
  • 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.
  • Annual

    Publication series
    Annual Climate Summaries from 2000 to present.
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    Mean monthly wet-days

    These datasets are available in a range of formats.
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    Wellington

  • Assessment of crop and tree species growing potential using climate, soil and topographic information

    Research Project
    This project demonstrates how to assess high value alternative land-use options by means of a quantitative analysis of the growing potential of selected niche crops and tree species.
  • South coast waves

    Wave hazard research

    Research Project
    NIWA collects wave data, develops and verifies wave forecasting systems, and is developing and producing wave projections.
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    Definitions of drought

    There are several definitions of drought, depending upon whether it is viewed as a hazard or a risk.