Climate

Science Centres: Climate

Climate

Information about our varying climate is critical for managing resources and reducing risks.

Information about the New Zealand temperature record can be found here.

The New Zealand Climate Change Centre's first Climate Brief, The Challenge of Limiting Warming to Two Degrees, is now available.

National and Regional Climate Maps

Maps of average annual rainfall, temperature and several other climate variables have been produced for all of New Zealand, based on the 30-year period 1981–2010. These will be useful for tasks such as identifying locations suitable for growing particular crops, assessing solar and wind power potential, or comparing very dry years with the long-term average. 

Our changing climate

 As knowledge about our climate system grows, NIWA climate scientists David Wratt, James Renwick, and Andrew Tait discuss the challenges and benefits of NIWA's work in this field. 

An overview of the present climate in the tropical South Pacific Islands, with an outlook for the coming months, to assist in dissemination of climate information in the Pacific region.