Rainfall

Latest news

2023 so far: NZ’s record-breaking weather

Media Release
6 July 2023
We’re only halfway through the year, but new NIWA analysis shows some parts of New Zealand have already recorded more than a year’s worth of rain.

Hotspot Watch 10 March 2023

Hot spot
10 March 2023
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

NIWA's Historic Weather Events website

Media Release
10 March 2023
Our official statement in response to Ian Wishart's report about NIWA's Historic Weather Events Catalogue website.

Hotspot Watch 16 February 2023

Hot spot
16 February 2023
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.
 

Latest videos

Mā te haumaru ō nga puna wai ō Rākaihautū ka ora mo ake tonu: Increasing flood resilience across Aotearoa

Mā te haumaru ō nga puna wai ō Rākaihautū ka ora mo ake tonu: Increasing flood resilience across Aotearoa

This five-year NIWA-led research programme is developing a system to map flood hazard consistently across the whole country. It will reveal how our flood risk might change over the next 100 years because of changes to rainfall and sea level from climate change, as well as due to land-use changes. Find out more.

2019 New Zealand Climate Summary

New Zealand 2019 climate summary

NIWA climate scientist Nava Fedaeff presents the NIWA annual climate summary for New Zealand 2019. See the 2019 Annual Climate Summary for all the details.

NIWA 2017 Annual Climate Summary

2017 Annual Climate Summary 9 January 2018

NIWA 2017 Annual Climate Summary

2017 Annual Climate Summary 8 January 2018

 

2023 so far: NZ’s record-breaking weather

Media Release
6 July 2023
We’re only halfway through the year, but new NIWA analysis shows some parts of New Zealand have already recorded more than a year’s worth of rain.

Seasonal climate outlook April - June 2023

La Niña ended during March, concluding its three-year run. A dramatic change in tropical trade winds resulted in warming seas across the equatorial Pacific. As of late March, ENSO-neutral conditions were occurring, but El Niño conditions may arrive as early as winter. An El Niño Watch has been issued to cover this potential.

Hotspot Watch 10 March 2023

Hot spot
10 March 2023
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

NIWA's Historic Weather Events website

Media Release
10 March 2023
Our official statement in response to Ian Wishart's report about NIWA's Historic Weather Events Catalogue website.

Hotspot Watch 16 February 2023

Hot spot
16 February 2023
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Seasonal climate outlook February - April 2023

La Niña continued during January, but it has gradually weakened. It will continue to affect Aotearoa New Zealand’s atmospheric patterns in coming months, even as neutral conditions are likely reached in early autumn.

Auckland suffers wettest month in history

Media Release
2 February 2023
January was Auckland's wettest month since records began, according to meteorologists. The Central Auckland Rainfall series recorded a total of 539 mm of rain at Albert Park, smashing the previous monthly record of 420 mm from February 1869.
Mā te haumaru ō nga puna wai ō Rākaihautū ka ora mo ake tonu: Increasing flood resilience across Aotearoa

Mā te haumaru ō nga puna wai ō Rākaihautū ka ora mo ake tonu: Increasing flood resilience across Aotearoa

This five-year NIWA-led research programme is developing a system to map flood hazard consistently across the whole country. It will reveal how our flood risk might change over the next 100 years because of changes to rainfall and sea level from climate change, as well as due to land-use changes. Find out more.

Hotspot Watch 12 January 2023

Hot spot
12 January 2023
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Annual Climate Summary 2022

2022: New Zealand’s warmest year on record, again.

Seasonal climate outlook January 2023 - March 2023

La Niña continued during December and a marine heatwave intensified in Aotearoa New Zealand’s coastal waters with sea surface temperatures (SSTs) 1.1˚C to 1.8˚C above average. La Niña is most likely to ease to neutral by early autumn.

Hotspot Watch 16 December 2022

Hot spot
16 December 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Hotspot Watch 8 December 2022

Hot spot
8 December 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Hotspot Watch 23 November 2022

Hot spot
23 November 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Hotspot Watch 8 November 2022

Hot spot
8 November 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Hotspot Watch 1 November 2022

Hot spot
1 November 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

"Exceptional" August atmospheric river sets record

Media Release
25 August 2022
NIWA meteorologists say last week’s atmospheric river (AR), which was responsible for widespread devastation in both the North and South Islands, was a record-breaker.

High resolution drought forecasting

NIWA and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) are working together to develop a new drought forecasting tool.

Hotspot Watch 20 May 2022

Hot spot
20 May 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought. This will be the final update of the Hotspot Watch for this season. Weekly Hotspot Watch updates will resume in the spring.

Hotspot Watch 29 April 2022

Hot spot
29 April 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Hotspot Watch 22 April 2022

Hot spot
22 April 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Hotspot Watch 14 April 2022

Hot spot
14 April 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Hotspot Watch 8 April 2022

Hot spot
8 April 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Hotspot Watch 31 March 2022

Hot spot
31 March 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

Hotspot Watch 24 March 2022

Hot spot
24 March 2022
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.

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All staff working on this subject

Dr Trevor Carey-Smith

Climate Scientist
Email Dr Trevor Carey-Smith

Dr Céline Cattoën-Gilbert

Hydrological Forecasting Scientist
Email Dr Céline Cattoën-Gilbert

Dr Sam Dean

Principal Scientist - Climate
Email Dr Sam Dean

Dr Alice Hill

Hydrologist
Email Dr Alice Hill

Dr Channa Rajanayaka

Surface Water - Groundwater Modeller
Email Dr Channa Rajanayaka

Dr Graeme Smart

Principal Scientist - Natural Hazards and Hydrodynamics
Email Dr Graeme Smart

Dr Richard Turner

Meteorologist
Email Dr Richard Turner

Dr Shaun Williams

Hazard Analyst
Email Dr Shaun Williams

Dr Christian Zammit

Hydrologist
Email Dr Christian Zammit
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Maurice Duncan

Hydrologist
Email Maurice Duncan
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