Neutral El Niño – Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions remain present in the tropical Pacific. Residual signals indicative of weak La Niña conditions persist, and occasional La Niña-like atmospheric ...

The clean-up and site restoration of a New Zealand research station in Antarctica has provided valuable lessons on the challenges of contaminated sites, according to a study in the journal Polar ...

Probabilities are assigned in three categories: above average, near average, and below average. Temperatures are very likely to be above average (60% chance). Rainfall totals are about equally likely ...

Temperature Temperatures were above average (0.51°C to 1.20°C above average) or well above average (>1.20°C above average) throughout the country. Rainfall Rainfall was above normal (120-149% of ...

Temperature 2024 was New Zealand’s 10th-warmest year on record, based on NIWA’s seven station series which begins in 1909. Annual temperatures were above average (0.51-1.20°C above the annual average) ...

Disclaimer: The forecasts offered in this page draw upon modified Copernicus Climate Change Service Information [2022] (C3S, https://climate.Copernicus.eu). There is inherent uncertainty in ...

Rainfall Rainfall was below normal (50-79% of normal) or well below normal (<50% of normal) for much of the country. Rainfall was above normal (120-149% of normal) or well above normal (>149% of ...

Microbes - such as those living in wetlands, landfills or the digestive tracts of livestock – are behind unprecedented spikes in methane emissions, according to new research from the University of ...

In 2023, Cyclone Gabrielle caused loss of life and significant damage to buildings, infrastructure and primary production, particularly across Hawke’s Bay and Tairāwhiti. The most significant impacts ...

Forecasting sea surface temperatures several months in advance is challenging. To give us insights into what might happen around Aotearoa New Zealand in the months to come, NIWA scientists have ...

The NIWA and MetService assessment of tropical cyclone (TC) activity for the coming season indicates normal to below normal activity. (Tropical cyclones are categorised in strength from 1 to 5, with 5 ...

A La Niña Watch remains in effect with a 60-70% chance that an event officially develops by December. La Niña-like patterns will favour more high pressure south of New Zealand over the next three ...