Today is the shortest day and the longest night for countries like New Zealand which are in the Southern Hemisphere. This is called the Winter Solstice. Although June is the first month of winter, the weather has been unseasonably warm throughout the whole country. This is in contrast to the weather three years ago.
Listen to more on the solstice and Matariki, and follow the links.
Vocabulary
• hemisphere (n) – half of a sphere (like half of a ball)
• unseasonably (adj) – unusual for the season
• in contrast (phrase) – the opposite