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View of Lake Tekapo in New Zealand
Photo: Sanka Vidanagama / NurPhoto / Getty Images
The winter in the southern hemisphere, which is just ending, was the warmest in New Zealand on record.
According to the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research NIWA, the average temperature in June, July and August was 9.8 degrees Celsius - 1.3 degrees above the long-term average.
The values from this year exceeded the winter heat record from 2020 by 0.2 degrees.
Continuous temperature records have been in existence for New Zealand since 1909.
These data also show that seven of the ten warmest winters since 2000 have been recorded.
More rain than snow
The meteorologist Nava Fedaeff, who works at the New Zealand institute, explained the unusually high temperatures as follows: This year more warm winds than usual came from the north, and the sea temperatures were higher.
The snowfall at lower altitudes this winter was well below average, and instead of snow, rain often fell.
This development could become even more noticeable in the further course of the year - when the water levels in the rivers fall because the snow does not melt.
That in turn could affect irrigation on farms, said Fedaeff.
There have also been more extreme weather events in New Zealand, the expert said, including severe flooding, but also dry periods in certain areas.
The long-term warming trend can also be traced back to the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air, she said: In New Zealand, the concentration of CO2 has risen from 320 parts per million 50 years ago to around 412 parts per million.
James Renwick, a climate scientist at Victoria University of Wellington, also commented on the rise in temperature.
He said the changes are putting pressure on natural ecosystems.
More and more species are therefore threatened with extinction.
Renwick called for urgent cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
"If we don't get the warming under control soon, it will be painful for much of the world," he said.
The scientist praised the New Zealand government's pledge to become carbon neutral by 2050.
There are many natural resources such as wind, sun and water that could meet the country's energy needs with renewable energy.
vki / AP