Warmest June on record reported in New Zealand

New Zealand reported its warmest June on record, with temperatures two degrees higher than the 30-year average during what is winter in the Southern Hemisphere, The Associated Press reports.

Gregor Macara, climate scientist for New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, said a range of factors contributed to the higher temperatures, including more winds coming from the north and warmer ocean temperatures.

The average temperature in June was 10.6 degrees Celsius, or 51 degrees Fahrenheit, which is two degrees higher than the 30-year average for the month of June. Records on temperatures in New Zealand were first recorded in 1909, the AP notes.

Macara said that while weather is subject to change from month to month, “the underlying trend is of increasing temperatures and overall warming.”

According to the climate scientist, milder winters and earlier springs can be expected if the current trends continue.

The AP notes that warmer temperatures are putting pressure on ski resorts where many students are expected to take their winter holidays soon. Some fields have resorted to using snowmaking machines to open the runs.

Though the weather has been hard on the ski industry, farmers in New Zealand have welcomed the warmer conditions, the AP reports.

“This year, it has been a godsend,” Jim Galloway, president of the Federated Farmers advocacy group, told the AP.

The warmer weather and rain has reportedly provided more grass for sheep and cattle, a boon for farmers who have dealt with drought conditions for the past two years.