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.

  • (no image provided)

    Obtaining climate data from NIWA

    NIWA maintains the national climate database for New Zealand, and can supply data in a variety of ways.
  • (no image provided)

    Map W South

    Education Resource
    The climate of this area is greatly dependent on its exposure to weather systems from the Tasman Sea and the lie of the Southern Alps to the east.
  • 2012-2013 Drought

    The 2012-2013 drought affected the entire North Island plus the west coast of the South Island.
  • Canterbury

    All aspects of the climate of Canterbury are dominated by the influence of the Southern Alps on the prevailing westerly airflows.
  • HIRDS-resources-thumbnail

    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.
  • (no image provided)

    Mean monthly sunshine (hours)

    These datasets are available in a range of formats.
  • 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.