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Story: Tāwhirimātea – the weather

Cumulus clouds

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Cumulus clouds

Cumulus clouds gather in the sky above the Waimakariri River in Canterbury. The Māori term ‘taipua’ refers to the way these clouds bunch together in rounded masses.

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by Christina Troup

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How to cite this page

Basil Keane, Tāwhirimātea – the weather – Clouds, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/8267/cumulus-clouds (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Basil Keane, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 March 2022.