July 5, 2021: New Zealand has experienced the hottest June since records began more than 110 years ago, according to official climate data.
Despite a polar blast last week, figures from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research’s (NIWA) show the average temperature for June was 2C warmer than usual, with twenty-four locations around the country hitting their own record highs. That makes this June New Zealand’s warmest since NIWA’s seven station temperature series began in 1909.
The warmth was widespread, with every long-term monitoring station observing either above or well-above average mean temperatures. It was particularly warm in Motueka, near the top of the South Island, where the mean temperature of 10.8C was 3.2C higher than the town’s 1981-2010 average.
The highest temperatures were recorded in Hastings in Hawke’s Bay and Leh, north of Auckland, and reached 22 degrees Celsius on different days of the two months. Climate scientist Gregor McCara said the 2C average increase was a “massive shift” compared to normal, adding that last June’s record was 1.64C higher than normal.
The NIWA has kept the rise in temperature below normal surface air pressure and climate change in the east of the country. He said that the North Estrellas are pulling the people of the air from sub-tropics so they are relatively warm. The fact is that we are experiencing far more northeastern winds than we normally see in June.
Sea surface temperatures were also warmer than normal and could be a contributing factor.
“Because we are an island nation, our climate is characterised as maritime, which means it is influenced by the sea. The warmer-than-normal sea surfaces helped to sustain the warmer-than-normal air temperatures,” Macara said. Underpinning all of this was climate change he said.
In the past 100 years, New Zealand’s temperature has increased by 1C, which is contributing to the overall warmer temperatures, Macara said. If warmer winter months persist in the years to come, that could spell trouble for the country’s ski-fields and agricultural sector.
“It will pose increasing challenges on the ski-industry because it will be more marginal to operate earlier in the season with the lack of snowfall, or with temperatures that are too warm to enable artificial snow to be made.”
Earlier in June, two of the country’s most popular skiing destinations – Queenstown’s Coronet Peak and Wanaka’s Cardrona Alpine Ski Resort – had to delay their openings due to the warm weather and lack of snowfall. Agricultural industries that rely on frosts would also suffer, he said, but added the warmer weather could provide opportunities for re-orienting the sector towards crops that do well in warmer climates.
NIWA forecasters predict a continuation of warm weather throughout the remaining winter months.
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