Hazards

Generally speaking, a drought is defined as a rainfall deficit which restricts or prevents a human activity – for example, farming or power generation.

The New Zealand Palaeotsunami Database (Database) brings together all known information about tsunamis that occurred prior to written records.

Heavy rainfall is one of the most frequent and widespread severe weather hazards to affect New Zealand.

Due to its position in the 'Roaring Forties', a belt of strong winds in the Southern Hemisphere which generally occur between the latitudes of 40 and 49 degrees, as well as its small size, New Zealand is a windy country.

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

New Zealand has low-lying coastal areas that are vulnerable to inundation (flooding) by the sea.

This system combines daily sea-level data from NIWA, regional councils, port companies, Antarctica NZ, Bureau of Meteorology and territorial authorities.

Tsunami is a Japanese word meaning great wave in harbour.

Coastal risk exposure for New Zealand, adaptation guidance for local government and relevant summaries of previous court cases and Building Act 2004 determinations.

River floods occur when water spills from a river channel onto land that is normally dry, and are one of New Zealand's costliest natural hazards.