Starting network…
Road Impact reports are community reports and remain visible for 60 minutes only.
Road Impact reports are intentionally excluded from this list. Tap any report to centre it on the map.
The time selection applies to Storm Reports and Weather Observations. Road Impact reports always expire from the public map after 60 minutes.
Reports stay retained in WXScope. These controls only change what is visible on your map.
By creating an account you agree to the and acknowledge the .
For privacy, WXScope will not confirm whether a particular email address has an account.
WXScope is for timely, first-hand reports of significant weather, noteworthy atmospheric or natural phenomena, and current road impacts across New Zealand.
Reports should describe something you have personally observed at the location and time entered.
Use Storm Report for significant or potentially severe weather, including:
Do not report an ordinary thunderstorm simply because you can hear thunder or see rain. A report should add useful information about what the storm is actually producing.
Use Weather Observation for noteworthy phenomena that may not be severe, including:
The observation should be genuinely noteworthy rather than general everyday weather.
Use Road Impact for a current condition affecting a road or people travelling on it, including:
Road reports remain visible for a maximum of 60 minutes from the observation time because conditions can change quickly.
WXScope is an observation-reporting platform and is not a forum for weather-modification theories, claims or speculation.
Reports, notes or other content relating weather events, clouds or atmospheric conditions to HAARP, geoengineering, cloud seeding, chemtrails, weather manipulation or similar claims are not permitted.
The Unusual Atmospheric Phenomenon category must not be used for this purpose.
Content of this nature WILL be removed by moderators. Account suspension or removal is at moderator discretion and may take into account the seriousness of the breach, whether it was deliberate, and previous moderation history.
Photos are encouraged because they can add useful context and assist with verification.
A photo is required for Lightning and Bioluminescence reports. For other report types, photos are optional.
WXScope reports are submitted by members of the community. A report appearing on the map does not mean it has been confirmed by an official agency. Some reports may later be reviewed or verified by WXScope moderators.
WXScope is not a replacement for official weather warnings, emergency information or instructions from authorities.
WXScope Road Impact reports are community supplied. They are not an official traffic or road-closure service and conditions may have changed since a report was submitted. Always follow road closures, signs and instructions from the appropriate authorities.
Questions about reporting can be sent to wxscope@nzstormchasers.com.
NZ Stormchasers operates WXScope. This Privacy Policy explains the personal information WXScope may collect, why it is used, and how you can contact us about it.
Depending on how you use WXScope, we may collect:
If you submit a report, the location attached to that report is intended to be displayed publicly on the WXScope map.
Weather and road reports are intended to be public. Depending on the report, this may include the report type, observation time, location, notes, uploaded photo, display name and NZSC member number.
Your account email address is not displayed publicly.
We may use information to operate WXScope, display reports, manage accounts, moderate or verify reports, prevent abuse, investigate technical or security issues, communicate about accounts, improve the service and produce statistics about weather reporting.
WXScope may use report information to create aggregated, statistical or anonymised weather datasets, insights and commercial data products.
We will not sell users’ private account information, email addresses or identifiable personal profiles.
Where report data is provided to commercial partners or customers, we will take reasonable steps to reduce the likelihood that individual users can be identified from that data.
You must only upload images that you took yourself and have the right to upload. Use of uploaded images by NZ Stormchasers is governed by the WXScope Terms of Use.
WXScope uses trusted third-party technology and hosting providers to operate, secure and maintain the service. Personal information is only shared with service providers where reasonably necessary to operate WXScope.
Weather reports may be retained long-term as part of WXScope’s historical record of significant weather and atmospheric observations.
Account and personal information will only be retained for as long as reasonably required for operating WXScope, moderation, security, legal obligations or the purposes described in this policy. If an account is removed, useful historical reports may be retained in de-identified form where practical.
You may ask us for access to personal information we hold about you and ask us to correct information that is inaccurate.
For privacy questions, access or correction requests, or privacy concerns relating to WXScope, contact wxscope@nzstormchasers.com.
By creating an account, submitting content or using WXScope, you agree to these Terms of Use, the Reporting Guidelines and the Privacy Policy.
You are responsible for your WXScope account and password. Do not impersonate another person, misuse another person’s account or deliberately provide misleading account information.
Reports should be first-hand observations. Deliberately false, fabricated, misleading, spammed or duplicated reports, or reports submitted to manipulate the map, are not permitted.
Do not submit unlawful, abusive, threatening, offensive, deliberately misleading or otherwise inappropriate content.
WXScope is not a forum for weather-modification theories, claims or speculation. Content relating weather or atmospheric conditions to HAARP, geoengineering, cloud seeding, chemtrails, weather manipulation or similar claims is not permitted and WILL be removed by moderators.
Account suspension or removal is at moderator discretion and may take into account the seriousness of the breach, whether it was deliberate, and previous moderation history.
Never put yourself or anyone else at risk to make a WXScope report. Do not use WXScope while driving, enter floodwater, approach damaged power infrastructure, enter restricted areas or place yourself in dangerous weather to obtain a report or photo.
You may only upload images that you have taken yourself and have the right to upload to WXScope.
You retain ownership of any copyright you hold in an image you upload.
By uploading an image to WXScope, you grant NZ Stormchasers a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, store, display, publish, distribute, resize, crop and otherwise format that image in connection with WXScope and NZ Stormchasers.
This includes use on WXScope, NZ Stormchasers websites, social media, YouTube and other digital channels, weather coverage, educational material, promotional material, sponsorship activities, presentations and media communications.
NZ Stormchasers may use uploaded images for both non-commercial and commercial activities connected with NZ Stormchasers and WXScope without seeking further permission or paying an additional fee.
This licence does not transfer ownership of your image to NZ Stormchasers. NZ Stormchasers will not sell or independently license your photograph to an unrelated third party as a standalone image without obtaining additional permission from you.
Where reasonably practical, NZ Stormchasers may identify or credit the uploader when an image is used, although attribution cannot be guaranteed in every instance.
Submitted weather and road information may form part of WXScope’s long-term historical record. Report information may also be used to produce statistics, research, aggregated or anonymised datasets, insights and commercial data products. Private account information is not sold.
NZ Stormchasers may review, verify, reject, change the moderation status of or remove reports and other content that breach these Terms, the Reporting Guidelines, or are otherwise unsuitable for WXScope.
Moderators may suspend or remove accounts for serious or repeated breaches, deliberately false reporting, abuse, spam, prohibited content or other misuse of WXScope.
WXScope reports are community supplied. WXScope is not an official weather-warning, emergency, traffic or road-closure service and should not be relied on as a substitute for official information or instructions.
Community observations may be incorrect, incomplete, outdated or unverified. NZ Stormchasers cannot guarantee that every report is accurate.
We cannot guarantee that WXScope will always be available, uninterrupted or error-free. Features may be changed, interrupted or withdrawn where necessary to operate, secure or develop the service.
These Terms may be updated as WXScope develops. The current version and effective date will be displayed in WXScope.
These Terms are governed by New Zealand law.
Questions about WXScope or these Terms can be sent to wxscope@nzstormchasers.com.
NZ Stormchasers — WXScope is a community weather-reporting platform built to show what people are actually observing across New Zealand.
WXScope allows members of the public to submit location-based reports of significant weather, noteworthy atmospheric or natural phenomena and current road impacts. Reports are displayed on an interactive map so people can quickly see what is happening around the country.
Storm Reports cover significant or potentially severe weather such as tornadoes, funnel clouds, hail, damaging wind, flooding, storm damage, severe snow and lightning.
Weather Observations cover noteworthy phenomena such as mammatus, Kelvin–Helmholtz clouds, dust devils, aurora, fog, bioluminescence and unusual atmospheric phenomena.
Road Impacts cover current community observations such as flooding, snow or ice, hail accumulation, debris, fallen trees, poor visibility, crashes and blocked roads.
Forecasts and warnings are important, but they do not always tell you exactly what is happening on the ground at a particular moment. WXScope adds another layer of information by bringing together first-hand community observations from around New Zealand.
As the network grows, these reports can also help build a useful historical record of significant weather events across the country.
WXScope is built around reports submitted by members of the community. Some reports may be reviewed or verified by WXScope moderators, while others may remain unverified community observations.
The usefulness of the network depends on contributors submitting genuine, accurate and timely reports.
WXScope is developed and operated by NZ Stormchasers. The goal is to create a practical nationwide reporting network that helps New Zealanders share useful observations while building a better picture of significant weather across the country.
WXScope is intended to remain free for the public to use.
Questions, feedback or enquiries can be sent to wxscope@nzstormchasers.com.
Flagging does not automatically remove a report. A WXScope moderator can review it.