NZ's
summer the hottest on record - Niwa
New
Zealand has had the hottest summer on record and Niwa says the
country can expect similarly warm summers over the coming years.
6
March, 2018
Niwa
figures show the average temperature nation-wide during the summer
months was 18.8°C, which is 0.3°C above the previous record set in
1934-35.
The
seas around New Zealand saw temperatures that were 6°C above
average, while a high of 38.7°C in Alexandra on 30 January was the
country's hottest January temperature in 39 years.
January
2018 was the hottest month on record for New Zealand, while it was
the second warmest December on record.
Niwa
said 54 locations across New Zealand recorded their hottest summer on
record, 39 their second-hottest and nine their third-hottest.
Among
the six main centres, Auckland was the warmest over summer, Dunedin
was the coolest and driest, Wellington was the sunniest, and Hamilton
was the wettest and least sunny.
Niwa
principal forecasting scientist Chris Brandolino told Morning Report
the record-breaking summer was not too surprising.
"When
we get these things happening, like a really warm ocean because of
the marine heatwave - we've had really warm ocean temperatures going
back to November - and when we have winds coming from the north, more
than usual, you're going to get really warm weather.
"However,
I think the difference-maker is we have climate change now. Our Earth
is warmer than it was 20 years ago, 50 years ago, 100 years ago. When
you have these conditions coming together like they did, no, it's not
too surprising."
He
said similar record temperatures were likely to continue as long as
carbon emissions remained high.
"It
doesn't mean every single day, doesn't mean every single season or
week or month is going to be record-breaking and warm, but the
principle or the expectation as we work our way through the coming
decades, if we're on the same trajectory with carbon emissions, this
will continue."
Read
Niwa's full seasonal climate summary for what it's (not) worth HERE:
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