Climate variables are key drivers for many measures of catchment health due to their influence on the ecosystem as well as water quality and quantity. This indicator includes temperature and rainfall observations obtained from four, currently active, measurement sites.
Future expansion of the network of weather stations and parameters monitored would be extremely valuable to obtain a more robust representation of the climatic conditions of the catchment.
Above the average
Temperature data from 2022 show that our catchment continues to be slightly above the long-term average.
Data Source
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Active automatic weather station sites as available from the New Zealand's National Climate Database.
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Cliflo
Wānaka Airport
The relationship between climate variables and other measures of catchment health are complex, but linked. Rainfall and temperature impact whether flora and fauna can flourish, may impede human recreation opportunities both in the summer and winter, as well as pose threats to the agricultural industry of the catchment.
The range of some invasive species may increase within the Upper Clutha Catchment: for example, the sub-tropical bungalow palm, which currently only grows on the North Island, could spread to the South Island under a warming climate2. Furthermore, breeding seasons of invasive predators, such as rats, possums and mice, may also extend due to higher temperatures2, which can also accelerate the reproductive cycle, leading to faster population growth. Rainfall, on the other hand, influences the availability of food, water, and shelter for pests.
Climate data presented here are thus important to consider when, for example, assessing the data presented as part of the invasive species.
A dryer summer and wetter winter in 2022 were observed in Makarora compared to the long-term average from 1990 to 2005 − putting pressure on the water resources, especially in summer. Furthermore, greater rainfall depths are expected to increase the likelihood of landslides and flooding.
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[2] Climate change and possible impacts for New Zealand, NIWA − available online, last accessed Jan 2024.
