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.

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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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    Mean relative humidity

    Dataset available for download
  • National and regional climate maps

    Research Project
    Maps of average annual rainfall, temperature and other climate variables have been produced for all of New Zealand, based on the period 1981–2010.
  • The impact of El Niño and La Niña on New Zealand's climate

    El Niño accounts for less than 25 percent of the year-to year variance in seasonal rainfall and temperature at most locations in New Zealand.
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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.
  • Annual

    Publication series
    Annual Climate Summaries from 2000 to present.
  • 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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    National

    National climate maps
  • El Niño maps and charts

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