The southern winter that has just ended in New Zealand was the warmest ever recorded and scientists say climate change is causing temperatures to rise more and more
WELLINGTON, New Zealand – The southern winter that has just ended in New Zealand was the warmest ever recorded and scientists say climate change is causing temperatures to rise more and more.
During the three months to August, the average temperature was 9.8 degrees Celsius (50 Fahrenheit), according to the New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmosphere Research.
This is 1.3 C above the long-term average and 0.2 C higher than the previous record released last year. Scientists have been keeping records since 1909, but most of the warmer winters are recent.
Nava Fedaeff, a meteorologist at the institute, said that in addition to a global warming bottom, this year there were warmer winds than usual from the north and warmer sea temperatures.
He said the underlying trend in warming can be tracked by the concentration of carbon dioxide, which has increased in New Zealand from 320 parts per million 50 years ago to about 412 parts per million today.
Fedaeff said snowfall at lower elevations was well below average this winter, as it was often replaced by rain, which could cause river levels to drop by the end of the year, as there will be less snow melt. This could affect irrigation of farms, he said.
Fedaeff also said there were more extreme weather events, including severe flooding in some places and droughts in others.
Professor James Renwick, a climate scientist at Victoria University of Wellington, said that at least in the short term some New Zealand farmers with herds of cows or sheep could benefit from a longer grass growing season.
But he said the changes were also putting pressure on natural ecosystems and, over time, more species would face extinction. He said it was imperative that humans delay the rate of greenhouse gas emissions.
“If we don’t get ready for the warm-up soon, there will be pain for large sections of the world,” Renwick said.
Renwick said New Zealand had talked a lot about climate change, but so far had done little to curb its emissions. But he said there were now good government policies, including the promise of being carbon neutral by 2050.
He said there were many natural resources such as wind, sun and water that could provide renewable energy for the country’s energy needs.
“New Zealand could become the world leader in green energy and a green economy,” he said.