Environmental Information Services

NIWA collects and manages significant amounts of New Zealand's environmental data, particularly in the climate, freshwater, marine and atmosphere domains.

Many of our databases are of national significance and may also contribute to open global datasets maintained in other countries. We maintain data research programmes and a collection of online tools and information services that allow NIWA staff and third parties to discover, assess and effectively make use of data and metadata held, maintained and curated by NIWA. In many cases NIWA is providing and encouraging free and open access to this data through the web and open standard web services.

This page lists NIWA current environmental databases and information services, and typically includes summaries of:

  • purpose and scope of the database, tool or information service
  • availability and accessibility and any conditions on access
  • status of data quality, currency, validity and scope of database records or information service
  • formats of downloadable data and ways to connect to the data
  • source of the data and who to contact for more information.
This interactive website lets you to look at projections for a number of climate variables for New Zealand between now and 2100.
Science area: Climate
Service type: Graphics / Interpretation / Visualisation, Interactive Tool, Derived / Modelled Data
Research Subject: Climate change
Licence type: Open for any use
This calculator estimates the solar energy that can be collected by a solar capture device (solar panel) at a given address, panel direction and roof slope.
Science area: Climate
Service type: Derived / Modelled Data
Research Subject:
Licence type: Open for non-commercial use
The NIWA Invertebrate Collection (NIC) holds specimens from almost all invertebrate phyla. This is a result of about half a century of marine taxonomic and biodiversity research in the New Zealand region, the South West Pacific and the Ross Sea, Antarctica.
Science area: Ocean
Service type: Data Download
Research Subject: Marine Invertebrates
Licence type: Open for any use
The New Zealand Freshwater Fish Database (NZFFD) contains over 50,000 freshwater fish observations from across New Zealand from 1901 to the present.
Science area: Freshwater
Service type: Data Download
Licence type: Open for any use
NIWA's Urban Runoff Quality Information System (URQIS) provides planners, engineers and researchers with information about the quality of stormwater from different locations and landuses and under different flow conditions.
Science area: Freshwater
Service type: Graphics / Interpretation / Visualisation
Research Subject: Freshwater Quality
Licence type: Open for any use
Plots of today's UV index are available in graphical form for Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Lauder and Invercargill.
Science area: Climate
Service type: Graphics / Interpretation / Visualisation
Research Subject: UV and ozone
Licence type: Open for any use
NIWA's Tide forecaster provides tidal data for any point in New Zealand.
Science area: Ocean
Service type: Graphics / Interpretation / Visualisation
Research Subject: Tides
Licence type: Open for any use
Cam-Era is a network of computer-controlled cameras that monitor the New Zealand environment for research and resource management. These are also useful for surfers and swimmers.
Science area: Ocean
Service type: Observational / Raw Data
Research Subject: Waves
Licence type: Open for any use

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

Science area: Climate
Service type: Graphics / Interpretation / Visualisation
Research Subject:
Licence type: Open for any use
CliFlo is the web system that provides access to New Zealand's National Climate Database.
Science area: Climate
Service type: Observational / Raw Data
Research Subject: Climate and weather
Licence type: Paid
HIRDS is a simple online tool that can estimate the magnitude and frequency of high intensity rainfall at any point in New Zealand.
Science area: Climate
Service type: Derived / Modelled Data
Research Subject: Rainfall, Scientific Tools & Data
Licence type: Open for non-commercial use

This is the home for NIWA's UV and ozone research, including maps and graphs showing daily predictions and measurements for UV levels across New Zealand.

Science area: Climate
Service type: Graphics / Interpretation / Visualisation
Research Subject: UV and ozone
Licence type: Open for non-commercial use