Northland, with its northern location, low elevation and close proximity to the sea is characterised by a mild, humid, and rather windy climate.
Summers are warm and tend to be humid, while winters are mild, with many parts of the region having only a few light frosts each year. Rainfall is typically plentiful all year round with sporadic very heavy falls.
However, dry spells do occur, especially during summer and autumn. Most parts of Northland receive about 2000 hours of sunshine per year. It can be very windy in exposed areas and occasionally Northland experiences gales, sometimes in association with the passage of depressions of tropical origin.
The weather pattern has changed over the last years due to climate change impact from all perspectives. Natural hazard analysis for our region take s account of these changes based on the latest information from the likes of NIWA, MetService, Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC ).