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Photo: 100 Year Forecast
Photo: 100 Year Forecast

ScienceFebruary 2, 2021

100 Year Forecast: Where will New Zealand get wetter and drier?

Photo: 100 Year Forecast
Photo: 100 Year Forecast

Click here to see interactive data visualisations and watch all five episodes of 100 Year Forecast on our special interactive website.

The future of rainfall in Aotearoa is complicated. As the country warms up, some places will get drier, while others will become far wetter. These changes will not be spread evenly through the year. Some places will have wetter winters and drier summers; others will experience the reverse. These shifts in rainfall patterns have big implications for our rivers and water supply.

100 Year Forecast explores what Aotearoa might look like in the next 100 years if we don’t take climate action now – and how much of a difference we can still make if we do. Each of its five episodes focuses on a different topic, from rising temperatures to rainfall and droughts and the effect on animal habitats, and projects a range of potential futures for New Zealand depending on what decisions we make now.

All five episodes and the special interactive website made for The Spinoff by Vanishing Point Studio are available now, featuring stunning maps and data visualisations from Chris McDowall, author of the acclaimed We Are Here: An Atlas of Aotearoa.

100 Year Forecast is made with the support of NZ On Air.

First published September 29, 2020.

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