Dunedin’s hottest day
Dunedin, New Zealand officially had its hottest day on record, hitting 35 degrees celsius. MetService forecaster Cameron Coutts said the heat was recorded at the airport at 3.12pm yesterday.
The city’s previous hottest day was 34.9°C, and its previous hottest January day was 34.7°. Records go back to 1972. Mr Coutts said Dunedin was the hottest place in the country yesterday, but noted the city would be slightly cooler than at the airport. Southern District Health Board made a plea on Monday for people to keep cool, when 30 people went to hospital after the mercury hit 32.3° in Invercargill, its hottest on record.
Deputy chief medical officer Dr Tim Mackay said to particularly keep an eye on our elderly, and young children, who may experience the effects of heat more acutely.
Dr Mackay also urged people to drink at least two litres of water per day. “Dehydration can occur quite quickly, and with these hot conditions being less common in Southland, it’s possible people are not as quick to pick up on the symptoms,” he said.
“We ask people to be particularly careful about the effects of drinking alcohol in the hot weather. Far from quenching your thirst it will speed up dehydration, and can be quite serious.”
Fire and Emergency have im- posed a total fire ban across Otago from midnight on Monday. The fine weather that has blanketed the South Island will come to a rapid end with an impending deluge, but MetService says temperatures will stay high. MetService meteorologist April Clark said the South Island is looking to get the same scorching temperatures as yesterday but that will likely wear off by tomorrow.
More than 20 areas around the country saw temperatures creep above 30°C yesterday, with Dunedin Airport taking out top spot at a sweltering 33°C.
The fine weather was mainly located in central Otago and Southland, with Lower Hutt the only area in the North Island to hit those heights.
That trend was expected to continue yesterday, with MetService forecasting 28°C for Dunedin and 26°C for Christchurch.