Major shakeup for the NZ science system
The government has announced a major restructuring of the country's seven crown research institutes (CRIs), which will see them merged into three public research organisations (PROs).
La Nina-like patterns are currently observed in the tropical Pacific Ocean, says the MetService.
However, the influence from the tropics is likely to be minimal in New Zealand in the short-term.
“The Tasman Sea has been driving most of our weather lately, and this pattern is forecast to continue into November,” says MetService Meteorologist Georgina Griffiths.
“A mixture of low pressures and westerly winds is expected to prevail over New Zealand during November”.
Temperatures are expected to be fairly variable during November. Next week is predicted to be extremely warm for this time of year. For eastern areas of both Islands (Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Marlborough, Canterbury, eastern Otago), and also for Southland, monthly temperatures are predicted to be above average. Elsewhere, November temperatures end up ‘near average,’ overall.
Above normal rainfall is signalled for the West Coast of the South Island. For the eastern regions of both Islands, November rainfall totals should run fairly close to the norm, possibly a hint drier. In all other regions, November should end up slightly on the wet side of the ledger (near normal to above normal totals).
Frequent lows in the New Zealand region left their calling card in October.
Rainfall was abundant in many regions, with the notable exceptions of Wairarapa and southern Hawkes Bay. The North Island copped an unusually wet start to October, as did Nelson and Otago.
“Canterbury and Marlborough also picked up significant totals during October, with 50-80mm of rainfall commonly recorded in these regions,” says Griffiths.
The first half of the month ran unusually warm across the country, but finished with a cooler southerly regime. However, October as a whole ended up on the warm side of the ledger.
Fertiliser co-operative Ballance has written down $88 million - the full value of its Kapuni urea plant in Taranaki - from its balance sheet in the face of a looming gas shortage.
The Government and horticulture sector have unveiled a new roadmap with an aim to double horticulture farmgate returns by 2035.
Canterbury farmers and the Police Association say they are frustrated by proposed cuts to rural policing in the region.
The strain and pressure of weeks of repairing their flood-damaged properties is starting to tell on farmers and orchardists in the Tasman district.
The sale price of Fonterra’s global consumer and associated businesses to the world’s largest dairy company Lactalis has risen to $4.22 billion.
Alliance Group's proposal to sell a 65% shareholding to Ireland's Dawn Meats won't solve the red meat industry's structural problems, says former Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Toby Williams.