NZ’s climate in ‘uncharted territory’, with more extreme weather events ahead

Key points

• A major new New Zealand report says the country has warmed by 1.36°C since 1909, with seven of the ten warmest years falling since 2016.
• The Our Atmosphere and Climate 2026 report links this warming to more extreme rainfall, drought, heatwaves and floods, alongside accelerating glacier loss and rising sea levels.
• Its findings also point to risks for agriculture, tourism and Māori communities, with more than 80% of Māori households exposed to flood risk.