http://weatherwatch.co.nz/content/hottest-august-record
It’s not global warming, it’s just good weather – last month was the warmest August New Zealand has seen since temperatures were first recorded 155 years ago.
I dispute that. It is well known that temperatures are rising and climate change has been a major cause of this over the past few years. It is global warming and climate change as simple as that.
New Zealanders could thank strong westerly winds coming off Australia for an average temperature almost 2degC warmer than usual, said Auckland climate scientist Jim Salinger.
The average temperature for New Zealand last month was 10.4degC, which gave the normally wintery month the kind of temperatures usually seen in spring.
Regions that registered the highest temperatures above average were areas such as Central Otago and inland Canterbury, where the Australian air kept both days and nights relatively warm.
Auckland and Tauranga shared the title of the warmest main centre for August, while Wellington was both the sunniest and wettest, Dunedin the driest, and Christchurch the coolest.
So in the space of three months we have had the coldest June in 40 years and the hottest August ever. That sounds like climate extremes and climate change to me, too much of a coincidence to happen so near each other.
