The heat is on in Hutt
The heat was on the Hutt Valley yesterday, with MetService reporting a high in Lower Hutt of 31.4 degrees Celsius, topped only by Clyde and Alexandra in Central Otago.
Unofficial weather stations in the Hutt Valley claimed temperatures reached as high as 35C in the Mangaroa Valley, and 32C at Upper Hutt’s Maidstone Park.
Officially, Upper Hutt had a high of 27.3C, the same as Kelburn, and below Wellington Airport’s 28.1C maximum.
Wainuiomata recorded 29.8C, and Porirua 25.3C.
Days Bay beach in Eastbourne was the place of choice for many Hutt Valley residents, especially with the option of a freshwater swim in the Hutt River being ruled out by a toxic algae outbreak.
Tayla-Kei Rahuilaulau and TiaCalais Remuera, of Wainuiomata, and Madi Mauriohooho-Tokona, from Petone, were part a young crowd at the beach wharf.
The trio of 13-year-olds were at the bay for a second day in a row, celebrating the end of their Sacred Heart College year.
They were loving the summer, and wanting the heat to stay.
‘‘It was hot yesterday, but it’s even hotter today,’’ Tia-Calais said. ‘‘This is amazing, it’s so hot compared to last year. We’re going to tan all summer, tan till we are black.’’
School groups were out in big numbers, including students from Wellesley College.
Outdoor pools in Wainuiomata and Lower Hutt also reported high visitor numbers, which again included school groups.
MetService’s Your weather online service, on which residents can share their weather readings, had higher figures for the Hutt Valley in mid-afternoon, though the figures are anything but official.
Meteorologist April Clark said the locally reported figures ‘‘are not calibrated to World Meteorological Organisation standards, so are provided for interest only and should not be relied on’’.
Other official MetService highs recorded yesterday were Paraparaumu 25C, Napier and Hastings 24C, and Gisborne 23C.
Clyde had the national high with 32C, ahead of Alexandra on 31.9C.