Atmosphere

The High Performance Computing Facility (HPCF) is supercharging New Zealand science—powering scientists working at the forefront of New Zealand’s greatest science challenges.

Methane (CH4) is the second most important greenhouse gas after CO2 that is produced by human activities.

The current method for calculating wind speed-up is inadequate, and can grossly under-predict correct design wind speeds in NZ's complex terrain.

Check out UV index forecasts for locations in New Zealand (including ski fields), Australia, the Pacific and Antarctica.

A glossary of common climate change and meteorological terms.

Several apps that provide forecasts of the UV index (UVI) are available for smartphones. 

Today's UV Index

Information about climate and weather and links to climate-related websites.

NIWA provides ambient air quality monitoring services using low-cost ODIN (Outdoor Dust Information Node) sensors.

The UV Index is a measure of the intensity of UV radiation. The larger the number, the more intense the UV. In New Zealand, its maximum summer value is generally about 12, but it can exceed 13 in the far North. In winter it reaches peak values of 1 or 2. Values of 10 or more should be considered as "extreme". At high altitude tropical sites (eg Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii), the UV Index can exceed 20.The UV Index supersedes the idea of "Time to Burn" or "Burn Time", which has been used previously in New Zealand.

Descriptions of the common terms that explain the processes that occur in hydrology.

Antarctica is experiencing stunning skyscapes like those recently seen in New Zealand, thanks to the afterglow effect from the Tongan volcano.