The rapid shift that could reshape New Zealand’s winter

The rapid shift that could reshape New Zealand’s winter

From The Front Page by NZ Herald

April 29, 2026 · 16 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of El Niño on New Zealand's winter weather with meteorologist Jon Tunster.

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. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Chelsea Daniels Editor/Producer: Richard Martin Producer: Jane Yee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Chelsea Daniels

Guest: Jon Tunster

Topics covered

  • climate change
  • weather patterns
  • El Niño
  • New Zealand winter
  • meteorology

Keywords

  • El Niño
  • New Zealand
  • winter
  • climate models
  • weather
  • ocean surface warming

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: MetService, Earth Sciences New Zealand

Places: New Zealand

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