News

The chances of a remnant tropical cyclone crossing northern New Zealand is raised this summer and autumn, according to research by NIWA climate scientists. And there is a very real chance that some part of New Zealand will see either the high winds or heavy rainfall these systems produce.

"During La Niña episodes the risk of a cyclone coming south and reaching New Zealand from the tropics increases," said senior NIWA climate scientist Dr Jim Salinger. "On average, Northland experiences two direct hits per decade, or one chance in five in any given cyclone season.

Higher than usual risks of tropical cyclones are predicted for the melanesian countries of Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and New Caledonia in the coming tropical cyclone season, according to climate scientist Reid Basher of New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). "This is because of the La Niña conditions which have begun to affect the South Pacific region’s climate this year" says Dr Basher.

Great concern over the strength of the Government’s commitment to research, science and technology as articulated in the RS&T 2010 strategy was expressed by the directors of the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) in their annual report.

The Chairman, Mr Don Sollitt, said the Government’s last budget round initially contemplated major reductions in the Public Good Science Fund (PGSF).

"It was only as a result of very strenuous efforts that the case was accepted for maintaining this critical national investment.

Observations in the tropical Pacific confirm that a La Niña event is now under way and is continuing to strengthen. "It looks like this La Niña is shaping up to be the most significant since the 1988/89 La Niña", says NIWA climate scientist Dr Jim Renwick. "Sea temperatures in the critical region along the equator in the central Pacific are now well below average."

Climate statistics disclose that the global heatwave of 1998 is also affecting New Zealand.

Extremely hot nor’westers tumbled March temperature records in Canterbury and North Otago yesterday.

New findings by scientists at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) have revealed that the death of kina, starfish, and possibly other fishes, in late January and early February off the Kaikoura coast appears to be linked to toxic algae.