Climate & Weather

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

Defining drought and identifying its causes and impacts on humans.

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

Antarctica is experiencing stunning skyscapes like those recently seen in New Zealand, thanks to the afterglow effect from the Tongan volcano.

These datasets are available in a range of formats.

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.

NIWA collects wave data, develops and verifies wave forecasting systems, and is developing and producing wave projections.

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

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

Annual Climate Summaries from 2000 to present.

Sea surface temperatures in the southern Tasman Sea rose to exceptionally high levels in late 2017 and early 2018. These temperatures were far above any others previously observed at that time of year in the region, and extended west from New Zealand to Tasmania and mainland southeast Australia.