January 2018 was the hottest month over the whole country since records began in the early 1900s. Of course, it is true that technology means that information about the weather today is more accurate than it was at that time. Nevertheless, we all know it was a very hot month: pleasantly warm for people who enjoy the heat, and for those who were on holiday at a beach. Many people complained, though, about having difficulty sleeping at night, especially in areas with high humidity like Auckland. Farmers worried about the lack of rain and therefore the lack of grass for their animals.
The temperature reached 37 degrees on a few occasions in some inland towns in the South Island like Clyde in Central Otago and Waiau in Canterbury. Clyde had 21 days in a row of more than 30 degrees.
Southland which is normally one of the coldest provinces was 4 degrees warmer than normal for the whole month. Taranaki and the Kapiti Coast just north of Wellington were also 4 degrees above the normal temperature.
And then, at the beginning of February came a tropical storm and floods to many of those dry areas.
New Zealand usually has moderate temperatures, not too hot and not too cold. Perhaps climate change means we have to get used to more extreme weather.
February is usually our warmest month but so far, it has been cooler than January.
Vocabulary
• accurate (adj) – no mistakes
• nevertheless (adv) – however
• humidity (n), humid (adj) – the amount of water in the air
• complain (v) – to say you are not happy about something
• lack of (n) – not enough of something; to lack (v)
• inland (adj) – not near the coast
• in a row – each day without a break
• tropical (adj) – from the tropics, from an area near the equator
• extreme (adj) – the greatest end of the scale eg. the strongest at one end of the scale and the weakest at the other end, the hottest or the coldest
• so far – from February 1st until today