Highs rain on sizzling summer

As our searing summer rolls into 2018, it seems that every week a record goes tumbling to force a rewrite of the record books.

On Sunday it was Invercargill’s turn when it soared to a recordsetting 32.3 degrees Celsius – the hottest since its records began in 1905 – and on Monday Dunedin’s sweltering heat tested a record held for over 40 years.

It got us thinking, how hot has it got? So we asked National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) to delve into the record books and find the top temperatures from the main centres.

Outside of the main centres in the North Island, the hottest temperature recorded was 39.2C in Ruatoria on February 7, 1973.

On that same day the South Island’s Rangiora hit New Zealand’s highest temperature recorded – 42.4C.

AUCKLAND

The record books were first opened in the City of Sails in 1959, and since then the temperature has reached 30.5C twice – on the same day for two years running. In 1998 Mangere reached the record on February 3, and in 1999 at Auckland Airport on February 3. HAMILTON

The oldest record from the main centres belongs to Hamilton. On December 29, 1948 the rural suburb of Rukuhia reached 31.6C, only two years after records began in 1946.

TAURANGA

Nearly two weeks into 1983, Bay of Plenty’s most populous city reached its record high: 33.7C at Tauranga Airport on January 11. Records have been kept since 1941. WELLINGTON

The capital has been keeping records since 1927, and has twice hit 30.1C. In the central suburb of Kelburn the record high was reached on January 5, 1975 and February 9, 1982. CHRISTCHURCH

Records have been kept in the Garden City since 1863, and it can lay claim to holding the record for the hottest temperature of all the main centres. On February 7, 1973 the Christchurch Gardens sweltered at 41.6C.

DUNEDIN

In the southeastern suburb of Musselburgh, Dunedin reached its record high of 35.7C on January 27, 1981. Records date back to 1947.

RECORDS KEEP ON BREAKING

In 2017 the average air temperature nationwide was 13.15C, about 0.5C above the long-term average. That made it the fifth warmest year since 1909, beaten by 2016, 2013, 1999 and 1998.

New Zealand’s warmest year on record was in 2016, where above average temperatures throughout the country made it the warmest year since records began in 1909.