El Niño: Waikato growers prepare for heat, wind and drought

El Niño: Why hot weather could damage Waikato strawberry crops Catherine Fry Coast & Country writer · Coast & Country News · 10 Oct, 2026 04:30 PM 5 mins to read ‌ Above 30°C, strawberry pollination stalls and plants become stressed. Photo / 123rf Above 30°C, strawberry pollination stalls and plants become stressed.

Photo / 123rf The words “Super El Niño” are on everyone’s lips, spoken in delight by those hoping we get a scorcher of a summer holiday, and spoken with some trepidation by our farming communities, for whom Cyclone Gabrielle is not a distant memory. According to Earth Sciences New Zealand, El Niño