Kiwis hoping for better weather until the end of the year could be in luck.

The first bite of autumn will be felt over much of the country in the next few days as rain sets in over the South Island.

Rain will bring some relief to drought-stricken farms this week, but the seasonal outlook is for dry conditions to linger well into autumn.

NZ's top climate change scientists have rallied together to slam a visiting sceptic who is touring the country to proclaim global warming as a myth that should be ignored.

Sun-lovers should head to the Bay of Plenty or Hawkes Bay for the best weather this summer, but most of the country can expect warmer, drier weather.

Despite 120km/h gales in the South Island and lower North Island there have been no reports of damage, emergency services say.

A scathing judgment backing Niwa represents a damning of climate sceptics' crusade.

A worldwide treaty banning aerosols 25 years ago averted a global catastrophe, New Zealand ozone layer scientists said today.

As valuable to marine life as it is prized by humans, the Hauraki Gulf is in decline. Though solutions seem as elusive as the gulf's fish stocks, a groundswell is building for collaboration.

NIWA have explored deeper seas than ever before, and found some new strange looking fish.