Information about climate and weather and links to climate-related websites.
On this page you’ll find frequently asked questions (FAQs) about climate and weather together with links to weather and climate websites around the world.
Topics include:
- New Zealand climate
- Common climate and weather terms
- Common hydrological terms
- Climate change and global warming
- El Niño and La Niña
- Layers of the atmosphere
- Ozone and UV
- Drought
- Storms and cyclones
- Tornadoes
- Clouds
- Cloud-seeding
- Wind chill factor
- Weather information (reading weather maps, meteorological instruments, weather forecasting, general weather questions)
- How the science of climatology and meteorology developed
- Ideas for projects using climate data
- Climate data for projects
- Reefton climate data
New Zealand climate
You can read summaries of New Zealand’s climate for the latest month, season and year here.
A more general overview of New Zealand's limate is available below.
Overview of New Zealand climate
Common climate and weather terms
From "above average" to "evapotranspiration" to "winter", these definitions of common climate and weather terms will help you find your way around climate and weather.
Definitions of common climate and weather terms
Common hydrological terms
These definitions of common hydological terms show what goes on in the hydrological cycle.
Definitions of common hydological terms
Climate change and global warming
Click on the following links for more information.
- Has the climate shifted?
- Has the climate changed in the past?
- How do we determine past climate?
- How is the climate expected to change in the future?
- What is the IPCC?
Greenhouse gases
Click on the following links for more information.
- What are greenhouse gases?
- Are they changing in the atmosphere?
- Do we know why?
- Why do we expect climate to change?
- What can we do about it?
- Have greenhouse gas emissions caused global temperatures to rise?
- What is the greenhouse effect?
- What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?
- How does methane gas from cows damage our environment?
El Niño and La Niña
The short story:
El Niño
The cyclical warming of sea surface temperatures off the western coast of South America that can result in significant changes in climate in the tropical Pacific Ocean and elsewhere around the earth. El Niño is strongly related to changes in pressure patterns and wind patterns around the tropical Pacific Ocean.
La Niña
The cyclical cooling of sea surface temperatures off the western coast of South America that can result in significant changes in climate in the tropical Pacific Ocean and elsewhere around the earth. La Niña is strongly related to changes in pressure patterns and wind patterns around the tropical Pacific Ocean.
For the bigger picture, follow the FAQs below:
Layers of the atmosphere
Ozone and UV
Click on the following links for more information.
- What is the state of the global ozone layer now?
- Has the Montreal Protocol been effective in slowing global ozone depletion?
- How have ozone levels changed in the past over New Zealand?
- How can we expect ozone and UV levels in New Zealand to change in the future?
- What other factors can be expected to affect how ozone and UV will change in the future?
- What changes do we expect in human health as a result of future UV changes?
- Is climate change going to affect the recovery of the ozone hole?
Drought
Click on the following links for more information.
- What is a drought?
- Where does the water go?
- What are the impacts of drought?
- How are droughts predicted?
Storms and cyclones
Click on the following links for more information.
- What is a storm?
- How is a storm classified?
- How do scientists predict storms?
- What is the most effective way to inform people that a storm is coming?
- What were the worst storms to hit New Zealand in the last 50 years?
- What were the worst storms to hit New Zealand in the last 10 years?
- What are tropical cyclones?
Tornadoes
Links to other websites
- www.meto.gov.uk/education/links.html#storms
- www.tki.org.nz/r/wick_ed/themes/weather/index.php
- www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado
- australiasevereweather.com/tornado.htm
- dsc.discovery.com/convergence/tornado/tornado.html
- www.astrogeo.va.it/immagini/cielo/giudici.htm
Clouds
Click on the following links for more information.
Cloud-seeding
Cloud seeding is a way of changing clouds by adding other substances to them. It has been done sometimes to try and make clouds produce more rain. Chemicals are added (as a very diffuse smoke of ultra tiny particles) to try and make the tiny cloud water droplets grow bigger so they start to fall, collide with other droplets and grow to raindrops. Sometimes instead of adding chemicals, very cold air is spread in the cloud so the droplets freeze, as this has the same effect. Cloud seeding has also been done to try and make hailstorms produce less hail: the method is the same as for producing more rain. The idea is that by making lots and lots more raindrops (or in this case they are frozen, so hailstones) none of them get to grow big enough to fall and damage crops and buildings. So far we do not know enough about clouds and how to seed them, to be sure of the effects. We might make less rain when we want more, or more hail when we want less. So cloud seeding is not done in New Zealand.
Wind chill factor
The wind chill factor combines the temperature and wind speed to tell you how cold the wind makes it "feel". It gives a very rough idea of potential risks caused by the combination of cold and wind when outdoors. The links below give information on how the wind chill factor is calculated.
Links to other websites
Weather information
Links to other websites
- The Metservice has information on reading weather maps, meteorological instruments, weather forecasting, general weather questions.
- The Ministry of Education WickED site has New Zealand weather information.
How the science of meteorology developed
Links to other websites
Books
These books have information on meteorology in New Zealand:
- "The New Zealand Weather Book" by Erick Brenstrum – Craig Potton Publishing, 1998
- "Fundamentals of Weather and Climate" by Robin McIlveen – Chapman and Hall, 1992
- "Sails to Satellites" By J.F de Lisle – NZ Meteorological Service Wellington, NZ
Ideas for projects using climate data
Ideas for over 30 projects using climate data
Climate data for projects
Datasets for New Zealand climate
These include rainfall, air and earth temperatures, frost, wind, humidity and a summary of climate extremes.
Reefton climate data
Raw data from the Reefton Climate Station are available at no charge. These can be used in statistical assignments. The record is from 1960 to date for rainfall, maximum, minimum and grass minimum temperatures. Other available elements have shorter records. These records can be accessed through the Datahub screen. The data type should be selected first, and then the dates. Not all data types are available from Reefton.