New Zealand experiences temperature extremes in 2009

10:56, 13 January 2010

WELLINGTON. January 13. KAZINFORM. New Zealand experienced extreme temperature swings in 2009, as heat waves in January and early February were followed by the coolest May on record; Kazinform refers to Xinhua.

Heat waves occurred in January and the start of February; May was the coldest on record; October had its lowest temperatures since 1945; and August was the warmest August ever, according to are port by the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) released on Wednesday.

In individual months, especially September and November, daily temperatures frequently broke long-standing records, with extremely cold temperatures often occurring within a week or so of record hot events.

NIWA climate scientist James Renwick said in a press release that wild swings in temperature were sometimes only days apart.

Despite it being a particularly snowy winter, he said August was the warmest on record. Auckland recorded a temperature of 25.5 degrees Celsius during the month; Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.news.xinhuanet.com for full version.

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