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Meteorological Service
of New Zealand
Te Ratonga Tirorangi (Māori)
Logo of MetService
Map
Crown entity overview
Formed1 July 1992 (33 years ago) (1992-07-01)
Preceding Crown entity
  • New Zealand Meteorological Service
JurisdictionNew Zealand
HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
41°16′54″S 174°46′39″E / 41.28176°S 174.77748°E / -41.28176; 174.77748
Employees304
Crown entity executives
  • Sophie Haslem, Chair
  • Stephen Hunt, Chief Executive
Websitemetservice.com

Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited, or simply MetService (Māori: Te Ratonga Tirorangi, lit. 'sky-looking service'), is the national meteorological service of New Zealand. MetService was established as a state-owned enterprise in 1992. It employs about 300 staff, and its headquarters are in Wellington, New Zealand. Prior to becoming a state-owned enterprise, New Zealand's national meteorological service has existed in a number of forms since the appointment of the country's first Director of Meteorological Stations in August 1861.

As New Zealand's national meteorological service, MetService produces and issues forecasts and official weather warnings on behalf of New Zealand's Ministry of Transport and is certified by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand.

International media, aviation and energy business is conducted under the MetraWeather brand.

MetService has been certified to the ISO 9001 standard since November 1995.[citation needed] From 1 July 2025 MetService will become a subsidiary of NIWA, which will be part of the new New Zealand Institute for Earth Science.[1][2]

History

[edit]

The weather forecasting service began in 1861, when a spate of shipwrecks prompted the Government to start a storm warning service as part of the then Marine Department.

Forecasting remained a marine service until 1926, when it became part of the newly formed Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. In 1927 Edward Kidson was appointed Dominion Meteorologist by Earnest Marsden. At the time the New Zealand Meteorological Service was a very small institution with a staff of five and a complete lack of useful long-period meteorological records.[3]

At the outbreak of World War Two in 1939, forecasting became part of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The focus on aviation continued with a move in 1964 to the then Department of Civil Aviation, which in 1968 became part of a new "super ministry", the Ministry of Transport.

During the 1980s there was increasing pressure on government funding for meteorology in New Zealand, together with a government-wide move to "user-pays" for specialised services, and to more autonomy and accountability for government departments.[4] A combination of commercial competition in the deregulated market for meteorological services and reform of publicly funded science led to the establishment of MetService as a state-owned enterprise on 1 July 1992.[4]

In 2013, MetService invested in a 49% shareholding in MetOcean Solutions Limited, a New Zealand oceanographic services company. MetOcean was an established company specialising in oceanographic analysis for research and forecasting for many purposes, including ports, offshore oil & gas industries and surfers.[5]

In early September 2020, MetService's website came under a wave of distributed denial of service attacks that also targeted the New Zealand Exchange, Stuff, Radio New Zealand and Westpac bank.[6][7]

Relationship with NIWA

[edit]

In 1992, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) was spun off from the MetService to become a separate Crown entity focusing on long-term weather patterns and climate change. Following the separation of the two organisations, MetService remained the official weather forecasting authority.[8][9] Over the next 32 years, the two entities clashed over access to books in the old MetService library and the accuracy of their weather reports. In January 2007, the New Zealand Government brought a mediator to repair relations between the MetService and NIWA. In 2009, the two organisations signed a memorandum of understanding to work more closely together.[10] However, the two organisations continued to clash over the accuracy of their weather reports.[9]

In 2020, MetService chief executive Peter Lennox told Parliament that they have more weather models and meteorologists and produced more detailed forecast than NIWA.[11] In 2021, Private weather forecaster WeatherWatch commented that it is "bizarre" the government is funding two weather forecasters and compared it to "Fire Service getting into Police Speeding Infringements".[12] In 2022, MetService objected to the Department of Conservation's purchase of NIWA's forecasts for use in its parks, claiming it was "inappropriate for public service" due to its reliance on automated forecasts without intervention from professional meteorologists. MetService has a contract with the Ministry of Transport to provide weather forecasts.[9]

Following several extreme weather events in 2023, the Government commissioned the Sapere research group to explore how the two meteorological services could combine their capabilities. In late September 2024, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister, Judith Collins announced that NIWA would be acquiring MetService in order to streamline weather forecasting services and give easier access to weather information from one source.[13][14] Metservice issued a statement welcoming the merger, stating "we see this as an opportunity to have a more connected weather forecasting system that allows a better integration between climate science, forecasting, hydrology, and coastal hazards."[8]

NZ Institute for Earth Science

[edit]

On 14 May 2024, Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology Shane Reti announced that the MetService and NIWA would be integrated into a new Public Research Organisation called the New Zealand Institute for Earth Science.[1][2]

Overview

[edit]

World Meteorological Organization

[edit]

The world's national meteorological and hydrological services work with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a specialised agency of the United Nations. As part of the WMO World Weather Watch, MetService sends observational data gathered from the New Zealand region to other WMO member countries around the world. This is used as input to computer models of the weather at the world's major numerical weather prediction centres.

MetService operates a data collection network within New Zealand. It complies with recognised international standards as prescribed by the WMO over and around New Zealand. In particular, data are collected through:

Norm Henry, General Manager of Science and Strategy, is the current permanent representative of New Zealand with the WMO.

MetraWeather

[edit]

MetraWeather (Australia) Pty Ltd, MetraWeather (UK) Ltd and MetraWeather‌ (Thailand)‌ Ltd are wholly owned subsidiaries of Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited, providing weather intelligence and information presentation products and services globally under the MetraWeather brand to:

  • Port and harbour managers and offshore oil & gas operators
  • Transport and related infrastructure operations, including aviation, roading and rail
  • Energy generators (combined cycle gas turbine operators, hydro power operators and wind farm operators), retailers and network managers
  • Broadcast and interactive media, via the Weatherscape XT weather presentation system
  • Retailers and logistics managers

Numerical weather prediction

[edit]

The cooperative relationship among the world's national meteorological services enables the sharing of much weather information, including the output from global numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. Meteorologists at MetService routinely use information from the world's major modelling centres for day-to-day production of forecasts and weather warnings.

The global models that MetService uses generally provide reliable forecasts of weather features, like highs and lows, over forecast periods of several days; however, they are less effective at predicting small-scale weather features like sea breezes and localised showers. Such features are often strongly affected by the local geography, which tends to be poorly represented in the global models.

An effective way of dealing with this problem is to use another type of NWP model known as a limited-area model. MetService routinely runs a number of limited-area models based on both MM5 and WRF with lateral boundary conditions provided by each of the available global models. The primary model configuration for regional forecasting in New Zealand has a horizontal spacing between grid points of 12 km, which allows weather features down to about 50 km wide to be represented (highs and lows are thousands of kilometres wide). This domain is nested within a much larger domain of 60 km grid spacing, which enables the weather to be modelled over quite a large geographical area for reasonable computational cost.

Weather forecasts for New Zealand

[edit]

Forecasts and warnings funded by the New Zealand government include:

Land

[edit]
  • Basic public and mountain forecasts
  • Warnings of hazardous weather affecting land areas

Marine

[edit]
  • Warnings of gales, storms and hurricanes for New Zealand's marine area of responsibility, METAREA XIV
  • Synopses and forecasts for New Zealand's marine area of responsibility, METAREA XIV
  • Warnings and forecasts for coastal waters

Aviation (ICAO services)

[edit]

The Pacific

[edit]

MetService maintains close links with the meteorological agencies of various Pacific Island states.

All warnings of hazardous weather for the South Pacific region, normally received from the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center in Nadi, Fiji, are forwarded to Radio New Zealand International and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

MetService provides backup for the main warning and forecasting responsibilities of the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center in Nadi, Fiji, should that centre temporarily shut down or be cut off, possibly due to a direct hit by a cyclone. They also take over Primary warning responsibility should a cyclone move to the south of 25S.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

MetService

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
MetService, officially the Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited, is 's national meteorological service and responsible for delivering public weather forecasts, issuing official warnings, and providing specialized meteorological data to , , marine, and commercial clients. Established in 1992 to commercialize meteorological expertise while fulfilling public service obligations, it serves as the 's designated sole provider of weather alerts and operates 24/7 from its headquarters. The organization traces its operational roots to earlier government weather services dating back to the but functions as a modern enterprise focused on leveraging advanced forecasting technologies, including models, to enhance accuracy and decision-making for New Zealand's diverse terrain and climate. MetService's services extend beyond domestic forecasts to international markets, supplying tailored intelligence for sectors like , , and , and it achieved a milestone as the first national meteorological service worldwide to earn ISO 9001 certification in 1995, underscoring its commitment to quality standards. In fulfilling its mandate, it collaborates with entities like the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) for research while maintaining independence in operational forecasting, ensuring reliable public safety information amid New Zealand's variable patterns, including frequent cyclones, heavy rainfall, and seismic-related atmospheric events.

History

Origins and Early Development (1861–1992)

The origins of organized meteorological services in trace back to the mid-19th century, driven primarily by the need to mitigate risks to maritime navigation amid frequent shipwrecks along the country's hazardous coasts. Informal weather observations by missionaries and settlers had begun as early as the 1840s, but systematic efforts commenced in 1861 following government recognition of the problem. On 21 August 1861, Dr. Charles Knight was appointed as the first Director of Meteorological Stations by the , establishing what became 's oldest continuous scientific institution. This initiative, formalized with government support as early as 1859, initially focused on compiling weather statistics and issuing under the Marine Department, with 10 permanent stations operational by 1861. By the late 1860s, the network expanded rapidly to leverage telegraph infrastructure, reaching 26 stations by 1867 for real-time weather reporting. Public forecasting emerged in response to ongoing maritime disasters; in May 1874, a formal warning system was implemented, marking the debut of the first official weather forecaster. This period saw the publication of initial weather maps in newspapers starting in 1882, enabling broader dissemination of synoptic data to the public and shipping interests. These developments laid the groundwork for a , emphasizing empirical data collection from coastal and inland sites to predict storms and gales. Organizational formalization occurred in the early , with the creation of the Meteorological Department in 1906 to centralize operations. The entity was renamed the Meteorological Service in 1926, coinciding with a shift of responsibilities to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), which prioritized applied for , , and defense. accelerated integration into military structures; in 1939, the service was absorbed into the Royal Air Force to support wartime and operations. Postwar, it transitioned to civilian agencies, moving to the Department of Civil in 1964 and then to the Ministry of Transport in 1968, reflecting growing demands for accurate forecasts in and infrastructure planning. Through the mid- to late , the Meteorological Service expanded its observational network, incorporating upper-air soundings, , and international data exchanges, while maintaining a monopoly on official forecasting until commercial pressures mounted in the . By 1992, amid broader reforms, the service was disestablished as a departmental function, with operational forecasting hived off into the newly formed Meteorological Service of Ltd. This evolution from storm warnings to a comprehensive national capability underscored the service's adaptation to technological and societal needs over 131 years.

Establishment as State-Owned Enterprise (1992)

In 1992, the corporatised the operational forecasting arm of the longstanding Meteorological Service, establishing Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited (MetService) as a effective 1 July 1992. This transition separated routine weather observation, forecasting, and public dissemination services—previously handled by the government department since 1861—from atmospheric research functions, which were allocated to the newly created National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). The restructuring aligned with 's broader economic liberalisation policies of the 1980s and early 1990s, which sought to enhance operational efficiency by subjecting public entities to commercial disciplines while retaining ownership. MetService's formation under the State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986 mandated it to function as a profit-oriented business, generating revenue from both domestic and international clients through tailored forecasting products, while fulfilling statutory public obligations via government contracts. These contracts, administered under the Meteorological Services Act 1990 (amended in 1992), ensured delivery of core national weather services, including those required for aviation safety, marine navigation, and compliance with World Meteorological Organization conventions, with the government compensating for non-commercial elements. Initial operations retained approximately 200 staff from the predecessor service, headquartered in Wellington, focusing on real-time data processing from a network of surface stations, upper-air soundings, and radar installations. The shift to SOE status enabled MetService to commercialise proprietary forecasting models and expertise, fostering innovation in value-added services like warnings and sector-specific advisories, without direct taxpayer funding for competitive activities. By year-end 1992, this model had positioned MetService as New Zealand's designated National Meteorological Service, balancing commercial autonomy with accountability, though it introduced challenges in coordinating with NIWA for and model development.

Post-1992 Expansion and Milestones

Following its establishment as a on 1 July 1992, MetService shifted toward commercial operations, diversifying revenue streams beyond core public forecasting duties to include tailored services for , media, and sectors, while maintaining its role as New Zealand's national meteorological authority. This transition enabled investments in and international outreach, with total revenue growing 14% to NZ$35.8 million by the 2002–2003 financial year, driven by expanded contract wins and product innovation. A pivotal early milestone came in November 1995, when MetService became the first national meteorological service worldwide to achieve ISO 9001 certification, underscoring its commitment to operational excellence amid commercialization pressures. In 1996, it introduced MetVUW, a mesoscale model developed in partnership with , enhancing localized forecasting accuracy for New Zealand's complex terrain. The launch of MetraWeather in marked a major step in international expansion, establishing a dedicated commercial arm for global intelligence services targeting industries like , resources, and media, with subsequent contract renewals and new deals in , Asia, and the . This built on domestic foundations to serve overseas clients, including Pacific nations such as , , and through specialized forecasts and capacity-building support. In 2004, MetService secured a contract to supply weather graphics to the , the world's largest broadcaster, highlighting its technological prowess in visual forecasting products and boosting international credibility. Further growth included the 2013 strategic alliance with for enhanced oceanographic and marine services, facilitating joint international offerings in wave modeling and hazard prediction. By the , MetraWeather had solidified dominance in and select global markets, with innovations like the 2014 ClipStore portal—the first online repository for customizable weather graphics—driving further revenue diversification.

Governance and Ownership

State-Owned Enterprise Structure

Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited, trading as MetService, was established as a in 1992 pursuant to the State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986, transitioning from a government department to a commercial entity required to operate profitably while fulfilling public meteorological obligations. As an SOE, it is wholly owned by , with shares held on behalf of the public by the Minister of Finance and the Minister for State Owned Enterprises as shareholding ministers. The company's consists of 5 million ordinary shares with an issued capital of $5,000,000, and it maintains borrowings of $10.5 million as of 30 June 2025, without Crown guarantees for liabilities. Governance is provided by a comprising five independent members appointed by the shareholding ministers, responsible for strategic oversight, , and ensuring compliance with SOE performance expectations. As of 30 June 2025, the board is chaired by Martin Matthews (appointed 1 June 2025), with Deputy Chair Brendon Te Tiwha Puketapu and directors Catherine Harland, Dave Moskovitz, and Stephen Willis; the board convened 11 times in the 2024/25 financial year, supported by committees for audit, , assurance, and people/culture/remuneration. This structure enforces arms-length management from direct political interference, with directors' fees totaling $205,748 for the year. Under the SOE framework and Companies Act 1993, MetService must function as a successful business, achieving financial sustainability through commercial activities while delivering non-commercial public services funded by government contracts, such as fulfilling commitments via agreement with the Ministry of Transport under the Meteorological Services Act 1990. For the 2024/25 year, it reported revenue of $74.4 million (up 6.9%), an operating profit of $2.83 million, total assets of $60.3 million, and equity of $27.9 million, aligning with its Statement of Corporate Intent to prioritize efficiency and value delivery. As of October 2025, MetService remains an SOE but is transitioning following the April 2025 announcement of its acquisition by NIWA to form a under Earth Sciences New Zealand, with legislative amendments enabling removal from the SOE Act expected to complete by late 2025 or early 2026.

Evolving Relationship with NIWA and Government Oversight

In 1992, the Meteorological Service was restructured under government reforms, with operational responsibilities assigned to the newly established MetService, while atmospheric and climate research functions were transferred to the newly formed National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) as a Research Institute. This separation aimed to commercialize forecasting services through a "user-pays" model while preserving publicly funded long-term research, but it created parallel entities both reliant on government funding and capable of producing forecasts. Over the following decades, the relationship evolved into , as NIWA expanded into short-term and bidding, leading to duplicated efforts, conflicting public forecasts, and public disputes over data accuracy and records. oversight, exercised through ministerial reviews, highlighted inefficiencies such as resource overlap and risks to public safety during events like the 2023 Auckland floods and , prompting calls for integration despite competition laws hindering collaboration. A 2006 review into and integration resulted in a 2007 memorandum of understanding between MetService and NIWA to enhance data sharing and accuracy, particularly for influenced by , though rivalry persisted. As of 2024, ongoing government scrutiny via the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and identified the split structure as outdated amid rising demands, leading to an in-principle agreement for NIWA to acquire MetService as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Legislation planned for introduction in late 2025 will amend the State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986 to facilitate this, shifting MetService from direct SOE accountability to ministers toward integration within NIWA's framework, with mandates for transparent data policies to unify , , and capabilities. This reform, fiscally neutral given both entities' ownership, aims to eliminate duplication while maintaining MetService's role as New Zealand's authorized , subject to oversight ensuring continuity for sectors like and response.

Core Operations and Services

Domestic Weather Forecasting for New Zealand

MetService serves as New Zealand's National Meteorological Service, delivering public weather forecasts and official severe weather warnings on behalf of the government. As the designated authority, it maintains 24-hour monitoring and forecasting operations to support public safety, agriculture, transport, and emergency response across the country. These services encompass short-term hourly predictions, multi-day outlooks up to seven days, and extended probabilistic guidance, tailored to New Zealand's diverse terrain including urban centers, rural farmlands, coastal zones, and alpine regions. Forecast production integrates global and local observational data—sourced from land stations, ships, aircraft, and balloon soundings—with advanced models. Key models include international systems such as the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), U.S. (GFS), and UK outputs, supplemented by MetService's proprietary high-resolution simulations at 200-meter grid spacing to account for localized effects like the and orographic influences. Meteorologists apply domain-specific expertise to blend model ensembles, adjust for biases, and issue interpretive guidance, ensuring forecasts reflect observed trends and historical patterns rather than raw model outputs alone. Core products include detailed city and town forecasts featuring , and direction, rainfall probabilities, UV indices, and laundry drying times, available via website, , and integrations. The app designates morning, afternoon, evening, and overnight icons for 47 defined forecast areas, manually set by forecasters to aid daily planning. Rural-specific forecasts cover regions like Northland, , and , incorporating farm-relevant metrics such as risks and frost warnings. Real-time tools like rain radar, maps, and station data from over 100 automated sites enhance situational awareness. As the government-approved sole issuer of warnings, MetService alerts for events including exceeding 100-150 mm in 24 hours, gale-force winds over 100 km/h, thunderstorms, and snow accumulations of 10-15 cm in alpine areas. These are disseminated through the national website, app notifications, and media partnerships, with upgrades to higher alert levels based on peak intensities like 20-30 mm/h rainfall rates. Economic analyses estimate annual benefits from these public services at NZ$235 million to NZ$1.13 billion, yielding benefit-cost ratios of 10:1 to 48:1 across sectors like disaster mitigation and road safety.

Marine, Aviation, and Specialized Forecasts

MetService issues marine forecasts and warnings four times daily for New Zealand's coastal waters up to 100 km offshore and the Chatham Islands, incorporating details on wind speeds, sea conditions, swells, and tides across regions such as recreational boating areas, coastal zones, the Hauraki Gulf, and high seas. Twice-daily bulletins cover gales, storms, and hurricanes in the Tasman Sea and South Pacific basin from 25°S to 55°S—encompassing approximately 6% of global ocean area—and include near-gale warnings (25-33 knots) as required for areas like Auckland's harbors and the Hauraki Gulf. Inshore forecasts, updated four times daily, target specific locales such as the Bay of Islands and Wellington Harbour, supporting safety for maritime activities through integration of observational data, numerical models, and meteorologist analysis. For aviation, MetService holds Civil Aviation Authority certification under PART 174, delivering 24/7 meteorological services to bolster flight safety, operational efficiency, and infrastructure protection for operators in and beyond. Key products include the PreFlight Pro platform, which aggregates SIGMETs, SIGWX charts, METARs, TAFs, and NOTAMs alongside customizable pilot briefings, and interactive aviation dashboards featuring real-time widgets for , , prediction, and overlays. These tools leverage high-resolution and predictive modeling to enable data-driven decisions, such as threat matrices for airports and rapid updates for en-route hazards. Specialized forecasts extend to sector-specific needs, including rural agriculture with regional breakdowns of hourly precipitation probabilities, rainfall exceedance thresholds, and soil moisture estimates where data permits; mountain and national park predictions incorporating avalanche risks, hut conditions, and ski field snow reports; and tailored event forecasting via the Weather Threat Matrix, which quantifies hazard severity and likelihood (e.g., high winds exceeding 30 knots, heavy rain over 50 mm/hour, or lightning within 10 km) in a traffic-light visualization for outdoor spectacles like sports matches or festivals. These services, produced by blending automated numerical weather prediction with expert interpretation, also encompass lakes forecasts and support for energy or transport logistics, ensuring precise risk mitigation without reliance on generalized public bulletins. As operator of the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC) in Wellington, MetService coordinates tropical cyclone warnings for the South Pacific, issuing advisories that inform specialized marine and aviation responses in the region.

Pacific Region Coverage

MetService operates the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) Wellington, designated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to deliver marine and severe weather services across the South Pacific, including tropical cyclone monitoring and forecasting. This encompasses the issuance of official advisories, warnings, and bulletins on cyclone activity, potential development, and impacts for the Coral Sea and South Pacific regions. As the Warning Centre (TCWC) , MetService tracks systems in the South Pacific , where approximately 10 tropical cyclones form annually between and , with dedicated twice-daily analyses of risks over the subsequent five days. These efforts ensure timely information on disturbances that could intensify or affect and neighboring islands, fulfilling WMO-coordinated responsibilities for the basin. Beyond cyclones, MetService provides surface pressure charts depicting weather patterns across the southwest Pacific, including the , to support regional . High seas marine forecasts detail conditions such as wind speeds, swells, and sea states in Pacific oceanic areas, aiding and for vessels operating beyond New Zealand's coastal zones. MetService maintains operational links with Pacific meteorological agencies through its WMO role, contributing to shared data and forecast products that extend domestic expertise to island nations, though primary national services in countries like are handled by local entities. Seasonal outlooks, often developed in partnership with NIWA, project cyclone numbers for the southwest Pacific, as in the October 2024 assessment anticipating average activity with around nine systems.

Technological Infrastructure

Numerical Weather Prediction Models

MetService utilizes (NWP) models to simulate atmospheric dynamics, integrating global and regional systems for forecasting over and surrounding areas. These models solve fundamental equations of , , and physics to predict weather evolution from initial conditions derived from observations. Forecasters at MetService interpret model outputs alongside empirical data and domain expertise to refine predictions, as computer simulations alone cannot fully capture local complexities like orographic effects in 's terrain. Global NWP models form the backbone of MetService's long-range and synoptic-scale forecasts, with access to outputs from leading international centers. Key models include the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) Integrated Forecasting System, deemed the highest-performing for medium-range accuracy; the U.S. (GFS) from the ; and the United Kingdom Met Office Unified Model. Additional inputs come from models operated by , the , and the Australian . These global systems provide boundary conditions for regional modeling and broad-scale guidance, updated frequently—typically every 6 to 12 hours—with resolutions around 9–25 km. For higher-resolution forecasts tailored to New Zealand, MetService operates limited-area models (LAMs) nested within global outputs, focusing on mesoscale features such as convective storms and coastal winds. In-house development centers on the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, an open-source mesoscale NWP system maintained by the U.S. . MetService runs multiple WRF configurations, including up to 24 variants across resolutions for domains covering , , the , , and , initialized with data from GFS, ECMWF, and models. A milestone was the 2011 implementation of a 4 km horizontal resolution WRF-based model over , utilizing clustered commodity servers for computational efficiency. Current capabilities extend to ultra-high resolutions of up to 300 meters in targeted areas, enabling detailed simulation of terrain-influenced phenomena like gap winds in the or in the . Model enhancements emphasize improved physics parameterizations for and , data assimilation techniques to incorporate local observations, and methods for . MetService has informally accessed NIWA's New Zealand Limited Area Model (NZLAM)—a regional variant of the UK Unified Model—for complementary insights, though primary reliance remains on WRF for operational LAMs. Recent explorations include AI-augmented post-processing of physical models to enhance probabilistic forecasts, trained on historical NWP data to match or exceed traditional outputs in skill. These systems support specialized applications, such as and marine forecasts, but require ongoing validation against verification metrics like error for and .

Observation Networks and Data Integration

MetService maintains an extensive surface observation network comprising over 220 automatic weather stations (AWS) distributed across , capturing data on , , and direction, , and every 60 seconds with greater than 99% operational uptime. These stations include specialized subsets, such as more than 50 units monitoring road conditions in partnership with Waka Kotahi and additional sites supporting aviation meteorology for Airways Corporation, with all data contributing to the National Climate Database. Upper-air observations are conducted via balloons launched from four fixed sites—, , , and in the —measuring vertical profiles of , , , and up to approximately 12 km altitude, typically once or twice daily on the mainland and once daily at . Complementing these are 10 Doppler weather radars positioned from in the north to in the south, including sites at , , Hawkes Bay, , , , , , and , which detect intensity, type (, , ), and movement to track events like thunderstorms. While current radar maps are available at metservice.com/maps-radar, no dedicated public online archive exists for historical New Zealand weather radar images on metservice.com or niwa.co.nz. MetService provides open access to hourly radar reflectivity (rainfall rate) images via SFTP upon request; contact [email protected] for access. NIWA does not host radar data or archives. Remote and supplementary data sources enhance coverage, including geostationary from Himawari-8 updated every 10 minutes for cloud and atmospheric monitoring, voluntary observations from ships and ocean buoys in coastal waters and the , lightning detection via Transpower's network, and public contributions through the Weather Observations Website (WOW) system operated in partnership with the . Data integration involves rigorous quality control processes to validate observations against physical limits and consistency checks, followed by dissemination via the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) for international sharing and incorporation into national products. Real-time fusion of MetService's proprietary data with third-party and public inputs, such as WOW stations and traffic cameras, supports dynamic mapping and nowcasting on platforms like metservice.com, while quality-assured datasets— including 3-hourly surface synoptic reports, 12-hourly upper-air profiles, and satellite images—are openly accessible to feed models and broader forecasting workflows.

Commercial and International Engagement

MetraWeather and Global Services

MetraWeather serves as the international commercial brand of MetService, New Zealand's national meteorological service, enabling the export of and data services to global clients while MetService handles domestic operations. Established alongside MetService's transition to a in July 1992, MetraWeather has focused on commercial expansion, achieving ISO 9001 certification in 1995 as the first national meteorological service worldwide to do so. The brand employs over 300 staff, including meteorologists and technologists specializing in AI and , to deliver weather intelligence solutions that support business decision-making across continents. Core offerings under MetraWeather include advanced visualization tools, automated technologies, and platforms such as the Insights Platform, which provides access to datasets and applications for real-time monitoring and analysis. These services incorporate enhanced (ePD) forecasts and integrate global models to produce tailored outputs for sectors like (e.g., renewables and oil/gas ), ( and marine routing), retail ( via weather-sales ), media (broadcast graphics), resources ( and optimization), , and industry. For instance, MetraWeather supplies and to retailers like , correlating historical weather with sales to predict inventory needs and boost profitability. Global clients encompass broadcasters such as Al Jazeera (contracted in November 2019 for comprehensive forecasting), , and major Australasian news outlets, alongside energy firms, ports, and other enterprises requiring precise, 24/7 services. MetraWeather's international revenue streams have contributed to MetService's overall growth, with expansions in , marine, , and development markets driven by investments in modeling and data integration, operating on a fully commercial basis unique among national weather agencies. This commercial focus maintains a roster of high-profile clients, enhancing MetService's financial sustainability through exported expertise.

World Meteorological Organization Role

MetService functions as New Zealand's National Meteorological Service, bearing primary responsibility for the country's engagement with the (WMO), a specialized agency coordinating global meteorological efforts. As such, it fulfills New Zealand's obligations under the WMO Convention, including the systematic observation, exchange, and dissemination of meteorological and hydrological data to support international weather prediction and . This role encompasses representing at WMO assemblies and technical commissions, where MetService personnel contribute to policy development on topics ranging from monitoring to climate data standards. A core aspect of MetService's WMO involvement involves real-time data sharing: it transmits observations from New Zealand's network of surface stations, upper-air soundings, radar, and satellite data to the global WMO telecommunications system, enabling input into worldwide numerical weather prediction models operated by member states. This exchange adheres to WMO Resolution 40 from the 1995 Congress, which mandates free and unrestricted dissemination of essential meteorological data for public good, as outlined in MetService's data access policy. Additionally, MetService participates in specialized WMO programs, such as the Tropical Cyclone Programme, providing forecasts and warnings to mitigate impacts across the Pacific region, where New Zealand's geographic position informs regional coordination. MetService's operational staff, including over 60 meteorologists at the National Forecasting Centre, are trained to WMO competency standards, ensuring alignment with international best practices for forecasting and warning issuance. The organization's CEO serves as New Zealand's Permanent Representative to the WMO, facilitating high-level , while MetService deploys representatives—approximately 15 in recent international forums—to advance collaborative initiatives like standardization and in the . Through these efforts, MetService upholds WMO's emphasis on evidence-based global cooperation, though its commercial structure as a has prompted discussions on balancing mandates with private-sector efficiencies.

Controversies and Criticisms

Rivalry with NIWA and Duplicative Government Efforts

MetService and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) originated from the 1992 restructuring of New Zealand's Meteorological Service, which separated operational day-to-day forecasting (assigned to MetService as a state-owned enterprise) from climate research and long-term atmospheric studies (assigned to NIWA as a Crown research institute). Despite this intended division, NIWA progressively expanded into short-term weather forecasting and contract competitions, blurring roles and fostering rivalry. Duplicative efforts emerged as both entities developed parallel capabilities, including overlapping networks, (such as stations and sensors in identical locations), and forecast generation for the same regions and timeframes. NIWA, receiving approximately $120 million in annual funding, invested $18 million in upgrades specifically for its NiwaWeather forecasting service, while MetService, funded at about $25 million annually, maintained its own operational systems. This competition extended to bidding for government contracts, with NIWA securing deals from in 2017 and the Department of Conservation in 2020, previously held by MetService. The rivalry manifested in public disputes, such as conflicting claims over temperature records (e.g., NIWA asserting a Westport high contested by MetService due to data record lengths), and inconsistent messaging during severe events like the 2023 Auckland floods and , which eroded public trust and heightened safety risks from unclear warnings. Prior government reviews in 2001, 2006 (which recommended merger but resulted only in a non-binding ), and 2018 repeatedly identified collaboration barriers and inefficiencies, yet duplication persisted due to structural incentives for both entities to commercialize services. These overlaps imposed unnecessary fiscal burdens on taxpayers and compromised resilience, with fragmented access and back-office redundancies preventing seamless research-to-operations integration amid intensifying . Official assessments highlighted risks to lives and property from dual authoritative voices, prompting a 2023 government-commissioned review to scrutinize the "double-up" and explore rationalization.

Debates on Forecast Accuracy and Public Perception

MetService has faced scrutiny over its forecast accuracy, particularly following severe weather events where predictions underestimated rainfall intensity. In the aftermath of the Auckland floods on January 27, 2023, the organization admitted that its forecasting models performed "poorly" in anticipating the unprecedented downpour, which exceeded 200 mm in some areas despite earlier warnings for heavy rain. Local authorities, including Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown, criticized the service for issuing warnings that disrupted public activities without fully conveying the event's scale, highlighting tensions between caution and precision in probabilistic forecasting. Debates on reliability often center on New Zealand's challenging and variable , which complicate numerical predictions beyond 3-5 days. MetService's internal verification from 2013 indicated short-term accuracy rates of approximately 81% for and 85% for rainfall, though independent assessments remain limited, with critics arguing that post-event analyses reveal over-reliance on global models without sufficient local calibration. Comparisons with NIWA, which employs higher-resolution models for complex terrain, have fueled discussions, as NIWA's outputs sometimes diverge, leading to perceptions of inconsistency; for instance, a 2025 analysis suggested NIWA's terrain-resolved modeling yields superior rain and wind forecasts in mountainous regions. inquiries in 2023 cited these rivalries as risking public confusion during emergencies, prompting calls for unified forecasting to enhance reliability. Public perception of MetService's forecasts is generally positive in structured surveys but mixed in anecdotal feedback, with a reputation index ranking it highly among entities for trustworthiness. However, online forums and media commentary frequently express frustration over perceived hedging—such as frequent rain probabilities around holidays—or outdated presentation of data, contributing to skepticism about long-range predictions. An economic valuation by NZIER in estimated the public benefit-cost ratio of MetService's warnings at 5:1 to 20:1, underscoring perceived value in averting damages despite accuracy debates, though this relies on self-reported usage rather than direct verification. Overall, while short-term forecasts garner trust, extended outlooks and event-specific misses have eroded confidence among some users, amplified by competition with NIWA.

Recent Developments

Government Review and NIWA Acquisition (2023–2025)

In 2023, following events that exposed inefficiencies in New Zealand's system, the commissioned an independent review by the Sapere Research Institute on behalf of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). The review identified significant duplications between MetService, responsible for operational , and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), focused on climate and atmospheric , including overlapping taxpayer funding and competing public communications during crises. It recommended consolidating capabilities under NIWA by acquiring MetService as a wholly-owned to enhance integration of and , improve , and strengthen national resilience without disrupting MetService's commercial operations or role as the authorised weather forecaster. On September 26, 2024, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister announced the government's in-principle agreement to NIWA's acquisition of MetService, citing the review's "compelling" evidence for reform to address systemic fragmentation. The plan preserved MetService's public-facing brand and forecasting mandate while aiming to leverage NIWA's research expertise for better long-term predictions, with due diligence on regulatory, legal, and financial aspects. Legislation was prioritized to enable the transfer, including provisions for MetService's ongoing independence in daily operations and commercial services. Progress continued into 2025, with MBIE confirming on April 9 the introduction of enabling legislation and NIWA's intent to acquire MetService, emphasizing enhanced economic resilience through combined resources. However, NIWA's merger with on July 1, 2025, to form Earth Sciences New Zealand introduced adjustments, shifting the acquisition responsibility to the new entity while maintaining the original objectives. As of October 2025, MetService operations remained unchanged, with the acquisition projected for late 2025 or early 2026 pending final approvals, amid ongoing collaboration to mitigate historical rivalries.

Financial Performance and Leadership Transitions

MetService reported an operating profit of $2.83 million for the financial year ended 30 June 2025 (FY25), reflecting revenue growth amid challenges from inflationary pressures and one-off costs. Total revenue reached $74.4 million, a 6.9% increase from $69.6 million in FY24, driven primarily by expansion in international services, energy sector contracts in , and a Ministry of Transport agreement. EBITDA stood at $11.8 million, slightly down from $12.1 million the prior year, while net profit after tax was $1.45 million, compared to $2.28 million in FY24. For the half-year period to 31 December 2024, operating profit was $0.91 million, with revenue up 7.1% year-over-year, though offset by $2.24 million in higher costs from , , and an impairment charge linked to the impending NIWA acquisition. The company's financial position was influenced by broader economic headwinds in and strategic investments, including digital program adjustments in anticipation of integration with NIWA. Net gearing remained manageable at 21.2% as of 2024. Total shareholder return for FY25 was 6.1%, underscoring sustained value delivery despite merger-related uncertainties following government approval in April 2025 for NIWA to acquire MetService as a .
Key Financial MetricsFY25FY24
Revenue$74.4M$69.6M
EBITDA$11.8M$12.1M
Operating Profit$2.83MN/A (prior year lower per announcement)
Net Profit$1.45M$2.28M
at MetService underwent interim adjustments in FY25 amid operational demands and the CEO's recovery from an accident. Stephen Hunt, appointed Chief Executive in December 2020 after serving as New Zealand's to the , took extended leave starting in mid-2025. Rob Harrison, previously Chief of Customer and Commercial, assumed the role of Acting Chief Executive from 13 June 2025, leveraging his experience in global weather and climate services to maintain continuity during this period. On the board level, Martin Matthews succeeded Paula Jackson as Chair effective 1 June 2025, bringing expertise in public sector governance to oversee the transition toward integration with NIWA under the new Earth Sciences New Zealand entity post-1 July 2025 merger of NIWA and GNS Science. These changes occurred against the backdrop of legislative reforms enabling the acquisition, aimed at unifying capabilities without immediate full merger. No permanent CEO replacement for Hunt has been announced as of 2025, with Harrison's interim tenure focused on stabilizing operations ahead of subsidiary status.

References

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