Figure 2.5: Projected changes in annual precipitation (in %) relative to 1990
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Note: For 2020-2049 (2030s) and 2070-2099 (2080s), scaled to 'lowest', 'mid-IPCC' and 'highest' cases, as described in the text. Contours are every 5%. See also box above Figure 2.2.
Text description of figure
Projected changes in annual precipitation, in percentage change relative to 1990, over New Zealand for the 2030's (left hand diagrams) and 2080's (right hand diagrams) scaled to the "lowest" case (top panel), the "mid-IPCC" case (middle panel) and the "highest" case (bottom panel). All panels have a gradient from southwest to northeast, with the west and southern districts of the South Island wetter relative to the northeast of the North Island. For the 2030s, annual rainfall changes in the southwest of the South Island are 5 percent decrease (lowest) to no change (mid-IPCC) to 20 percent increase (highest), whereas changes in the north and east of the North Island are 10 to 20 percent decrease (lowest) to 5 percent decrease (mid-IPCC) to no change (highest). For the 2080s, annual rainfall changes in the southwest of the South Island are 0 percent (lowest) to 20 percent increase (mid-IPCC) to over 20 percent increase (highest), whereas changes in the north and east of the North Island are 20 percent or more decrease (lowest) to 5 to 20 percent decrease (mid-IPCC) to no change (highest).
