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.

  • El Niño maps and charts

    View a collection of maps showing the impact of past El Niño and La Niña events.
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    Investigating ocean acidification

    Feature story
    The world’s oceans are acidifying as a result of the carbon dioxide (CO2) generated by humanity.
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    Map E South

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

    Northland, with its northern location, low elevation and close proximity to the sea is characterised by a mild, humid, and rather windy climate.
  • New Zealand Drought Monitor

    Service
    The New Zealand Drought Monitor is a system for keeping track of drought conditions across New Zealand based on a standardised climate index.
  • Daily climate maps

    These climate maps are updated daily and are based on data from our National Climate Database.
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    Mean daily maximum temperatures (°C)

    These datasets are available in a range of formats.
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    Tornadoes - how frequently do they hit New Zealand?

    News article
    Tornadoes, like the one that hit Auckland's western suburbs today, are relatively rare events in New Zealand.
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    Map I South

    Education Resource
    The climate of this zone is largely dependent on the lie of the Southern Alps to the west, but many areas are also sheltered by high country to the south and east.
  • Farming and the primary sector

    Farmers are making business decisions everyday which are influenced by environmental factors. We can help farmers to improve decision-making, mitigate farm environment risk, and to become more productive, efficient, competitive and sustainable.