The rapid shift that could reshape New Zealand’s winter
29 April 2026

The rapid shift that could reshape New Zealand’s winter

The Front Page

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El Niño is set to hit New Zealand this winter. 

Global climate models show there’s a greater than 60% probability that this ‘event’ will be ‘strong’ by spring, with the potential to intensify later this year. 

But, what does this all actually mean? What happens when the ocean surface warms? And what does it mean for our weather? 

Today on The Front Page, Earth Sciences New Zealand and MetService meteorologist Jon Tunster is with us to make sense of it all.

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