Rainfall
What
Rain is vital for life: our drinking water, our agriculture, our energy, our recreation, and our environment all rely on it.
Between now and the end of the century, the effect of climate change on rainfall in Canterbury/Waitaha is expected to vary, with different impacts depending on where in our region you are.
Exactly how our rainfall will change is less certain than for other impacts resulting from climate change such as temperature, and changes are expected to be seasonal rather than year-round. However, NIWA projections suggest that by 2090, if we don’t take action to curb greenhouse gas emissions, Banks Peninsula and our traditionally dry inland areas are expected to become drier, with 5% to 15% less rain.
On the other hand, winters could be wetter in some eastern, western and southern parts of Canterbury, with between 15% and 40% more rain.
The combination of drier summers and wetter winters could have real impacts on our environment and our economy.