Fire
What
As our region gets hotter, it will also get drier and windier. This combination means that Waitaha/Canterbury has an increasing risk of wildfire over the next century, and the fire season, which has traditionally been the summer months, could become longer.
New Zealand is already observing some changes in fire weather, and there are differences within our districts in Waitaha/Canterbury.
For example, the Mackenzie District's fire risk is projected to increase by about 10 per cent per decade.
There are four main drivers of wildfire: increased temperature, increased wind, decreased humidity, and decreased rainfall.
Impacts
Next
Between now and the end of the century, the effect of climate change on rainfall in Waitaha/Canterbury is expected to vary across the region.