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.

Drought forecasting dashboard

The drought forecasting tool uses innovative climate modelling, the latest in machine learning and other data-driven techniques to predict rainfall 35 days ahead. Helping farmers and growers better prepare for periods of dryness and drought.

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  • Link to source page

    NIWA's Hotspot Watch

    Hotspot
    23 January 2015
    Weekly update to help media assess likelihood of extremely dry weather preceding a drought. Regions experiencing severely to extremely drier than normal soils conditions are deemed “hotspots”.

  • Link to source page

    Measuring and analysing the Southern Ocean seas and atmosphere

    Data collected continuously from this voyage will fill a critical knowledge gap, helping scientists to produce better global climate and oceanographic models to ultimately improve weather forecasting.
    Climate and weather
    Oceans

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    NIWA's Hotspot Watch

    Hotspot
    16 January 2015
    Weekly update to help media assess likelihood of extremely dry weather preceding a drought. Regions experiencing severely to extremely drier than normal soils conditions are deemed “hotspots”.

  • Link to source page

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    NIWA's Hotspot Watch

    Hotspot
    09 January 2015
    Weekly update to help media assess likelihood of extremely dry weather preceding a drought. Regions experiencing severely to extremely drier than normal soils conditions are deemed “hotspots”.

  • Link to source page

    NIWA's Hotspot Watch

    Hotspot
    19 December 2014
    Weekly update to help media assess likelihood of extremely dry weather preceding a drought.

  • Link to source page

    NIWA's Hotspot Watch 12 December 2014

    Hotspot
    12 December 2014
    Weekly update to help media assess likelihood of extremely dry weather preceding a drought. Regions experiencing severely to extremely drier than normal soils conditions are deemed “hotspots”.

  • Link to source page

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    Early Christmas present for Antarctic researchers

    News article
    08 December 2014
    In a small green laboratory perched on the rocky volcanic southern peninsula of Ross Island, Antarctica, there’s a space waiting for a new shiny, hi-tech Christmas present.
    Antarctica
    Climate change
    Greenhouse and trace gases

  • Link to source page

    NIWA's Hotspot Watch 5 December 2014

    Hotspot
    05 December 2014
    Weekly update to help media assess likelihood of extremely dry weather preceding a drought. Regions experiencing severely to extremely drier than normal soils conditions are deemed “hotspots”.

  • Link to source page

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    Scientist turns detective on NZ temperature records

    News article
    03 December 2014
    A NIWA climate scientist is awaiting a ruling from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) on whether New Zealand’s coldest recorded temperature will be accepted as an official world weather extreme.

  • Link to source page

    NIWA's Hotspot Watch 28 November 2014

    Hotspot
    28 November 2014
    Weekly update to help media assess likelihood of extremely dry weather preceding a drought.

  • Link to source page

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    Regional climatologies

    Publication series
    A regional climatology is a summary of the typical weather and climate of a region, based on historical data observations made at climate stations located within the region.

  • Link to source page

    Chatham Islands

    The weather of the Chatham Islands is marked by rapid changes of conditions, and typically windy cloudy conditions.