The data also projects Wānaka will have fewer frosts and rainy days — but more very rainy days — by the end of the century.
The climate projections can tell people about change in climate (e.g., how much rain there might be), but not hazards or exposure to risks (e.g., how much flooding the rain will cause, or which homes might be affected by flooding).
The information is contained in the government’s Climate Data Initiative and was released by the Ministry for the Environment on September 18.
The data tools break down climate projections into blocks of 5km square and the information is publicly available online.
Niwa chief climate scientist Dr Andrew Tait said the projections were based on the latest global climate models and emission scenarios used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The latest predictions and its impact on the environment and people will be top of mind when the Wao Aotearoa Summit 2024 launches next week at Rippon Hall.
Summit co-founder and session facilitator Monique Kelly said although conversations on future weather could be slanted with a negative bent and the complexity of the issues could seem overwhelming, it was important to start planning how we would live with those changes.
"More climate-related disasters along with an increasing population can put stresses on food, energy and infrastructure ... While it’s really important to front up to the challenges we’re going to be facing, it’s equally important to start painting the picture of the future we want to see, to feel into what it could be like, and discuss what is possible," she said this week.
