Heat makes fans hottest item in town

Fans and airconditioners are evaporating from shop shelves as residents struggle to deal with a scorching summer.

Temperatures have averaged 19.9 degrees Celsius in Palmerston North in January so far, almost matching the record set in 1999 – an average of 20.4C.

The major stores around the country are struggling to meet the high demand for fans and airconditioners, and Mitre 10 Mega in Palmerston North has completely sold out.

Metservice meteorologist April Clarke said the heat isn’t about to let up this weekend.

The temperature tipped 29C in Palmerston North on Friday, and was likely to stay just below 30 degrees through the weekend and into the start of next week, Clarke said.

She said it was normal to hit those highs in summer; but it’s been that hot for an unusually long time, thanks to a large mass of warm air that’s just been sitting over the North Island, and less of the southerly winds that bring cooler, drier air.

Mitre 10 Mega Palmerston North manager Bevan Brabyn said customers were stripping the shelves bare of anything that might help them cool off.

The store was completely out of fans and portable airconditioners.

Briscoe Group managing director Rod Duke said the company had bought double the amount of fans it sold last summer, and they still had very few left throughout the country.