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June blows hot and cold – and possibly hottest of all

Media Release

23 June 2021

A weather roller coaster is coming to town and country before the end of the month.

NIWA calculates 1:200 year flood for parts of Canterbury

Media Release

14 June 2021

Preliminary analysis by NIWA climate scientists has shown that the recent Canterbury rainfall was so extreme in some inland places that it could be expected to happen only once every 200 years.

Field teams and forecasters cover monumental rainfall event

Feature story

9 June 2021

The prodigious rainmaker that hit Canterbury earlier this month saw NIWA field teams out in the elements collecting flood data from bridges, cableways and jetboat gaugings.

Skies looking mostly clear for spotting rare Super Blood Moon

Media Release

25 May 2021

NIWA forecasters say expected clear skies are looking good for spotting the Super Blood Moon on Wednesday night.

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Forecasting weather systems

NIWA’s research into forecasting weather systems aims to increase the resilience of New Zealand communities to weather-related hazards.

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New Zealand 2019 climate summary

NIWA climate scientist Nava Fedaeff presents the NIWA annual climate summary for New Zealand 2019.

New Zealand’s equal-2nd warmest year on record. Annual temperatures were above average across the majority of New Zealand, including much of the North Island as well as the western and southern South Island. See complete 2018 Annual Climate Summary details.

Weather Tips - What is El Niño?

El Niño. We hear it being brought up in the news quite a bit, but what does it actually mean? No, it's not a type of yoghurt!

NiwaWeather

NIWA Weather forecasts and rainfall maps for New Zealand towns and cities.

June blows hot and cold – and possibly hottest of all

Media Release

23 June 2021

A weather roller coaster is coming to town and country before the end of the month.

NIWA calculates 1:200 year flood for parts of Canterbury

Media Release

14 June 2021

Preliminary analysis by NIWA climate scientists has shown that the recent Canterbury rainfall was so extreme in some inland places that it could be expected to happen only once every 200 years.

Field teams and forecasters cover monumental rainfall event

Feature story

9 June 2021

The prodigious rainmaker that hit Canterbury earlier this month saw NIWA field teams out in the elements collecting flood data from bridges, cableways and jetboat gaugings.

Island Climate Update 249 - June 2021

The NINO3.4 Index anomaly (in the central Pacific) during May (through the 30th) was -0.11˚C, the smallest anomaly since July 2020. The Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) was +0.5, in the ENSO neutral range.

Autumn 2021

A warm autumn with bursts of heavy rainfall

Climate Summary for May 2021

Severe flooding in Canterbury to end the month

Seasonal climate outlook June - August 2021

Temperatures are most likely to be above average in the west and east of the South Island and about equally likely to be above average or near average in all other regions. While cold spells and frosts will occur, as is typical during winter, they may be infrequent.

Skies looking mostly clear for spotting rare Super Blood Moon

Media Release

25 May 2021

NIWA forecasters say expected clear skies are looking good for spotting the Super Blood Moon on Wednesday night.

Island Climate Update 248 - May 2021

The NINO3.4 Index anomaly (in the central Pacific) during April was -0.30⁰C and the SOI (Southern Oscillation Index) was +0.3, both within the neutral range.

Climate Summary for April 2021

Warmer and drier than normal for many

Seasonal climate outlook May - July 2021

Temperatures are very unlikely to be colder than average for the three months as a whole. Above average or near average temperatures are favoured for all regions except the east of the South Island, where above average temperatures are most likely.

Scientists examine high winds on Auckland Harbour Bridge

Media Release

27 April 2021

When high winds on the Auckland Harbour Bridge last September caused two trucks to topple over, one into a load-bearing strut, NIWA scientists began thinking about what role they could play in preventing it from happening again.

Hotspot Watch 9 April 2021

Hot spot

9 April 2021

Final Hotspot Watch update for this season. Weekly Hotspot Watches will return in the spring.

Island Climate Update 247 - April 2021

The NINO3.4 Index anomaly (in the central Pacific) during March was -0.44˚C. This marked the first time since August 2020 that SSTs in this region were in the neutral range. The SOI value for March was +0.1 (in the neutral range).

Climate Summary for March 2021

A month with long dry spells and late season warmth

Hotspot Watch 1 April 2021

Hot spot

1 April 2021

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 April - June 2021

For April-June, air pressure is expected to be lower than normal to the northwest and higher than normal to the east of the country. Although air flows will be mixed, slightly more easterly quarter winds are favoured for the three month period as a whole.

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