Fine, mild weather in upper North Island on Earth's hottest day
Warm weather across most of the North Island contributed to the Earths hottest day in recorded history: July 6. That Thursday when most of the country experienced a fine day the average air temperature across globe (including Aotearoa) was 17.08C, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Before July, the previous record was 16.8C, recorded in August 2016. While the dangerous temperatures overseas would never be matched by a New Zealand winters day, a slightly-warmer-than-average July did contribute to the record global scorcher. Palmerston North had a relatively balmy day, with the mercury reaching 16.4C, according to MetService data. But conditions were chillier further south, with the Wellington region and eastern South Island recording lower-than-average winter temperatures. As well as naming July 6 the warmest day in human history, the WMO partnering with the Copernicus Climate Change Service declared July the hottest month ever recorded five days before the month ended. The climate team used data from satellites, weather stations and weather balloons across the world data which includes New Zealand which was reanalysed by a computer model to determine the Earths temperature. Earlier this month, thermometers recorded 50C in Death Valley in the US state of California and in the small town of Sanbao in northeast China another symptom of climate change, experts said. Parts of Spain recorded their hottest-ever days. Niwa meteorologist Tristan Meyers said, according to data from seven weather stations around the motu, July was also comparatively warm here for a winter month. While we dont have the final numbers yet... It does look like were in at least one of our top five warmest Julys. MetService meteorologist Andrew James agreed. Temperatures this month had been a bit warmer than average. The upper, eastern North Island and eastern South Island had experienced a lot of rain as well. Thats a remnant of the La Nina climate pattern that has held sway over the Pacific for the last three years, James said. The conditions often bring hotter, moisture-laden air from the tropics to New Zealand. Meyers said the opposing system El Nino which sends very warm ocean water up to the surface of the Pacific Ocean near the equator over this huge area thousands of kilometres long was developing. That just drives up the temperature of the globe. ... El Nino years are typically hotter years. The last hottest year on record was 2016, and that was due to an El Nino, he added. The Atlantic Ocean is also unusually warm, Meyers said. A long-running marine heatwave has pushed up the mercury across Aotearoa. Earth is mostly water, so if the sea surface temperature is warm, then the temperature is going to be warm across the globe, Meyers said. Climate change caused by humanitys greenhouse gas emissions was another key factor, he added. Weve seen heatwaves in July across three separate continents: Europe, North America and Asia nearly concurrently. July 6 was not a record-breaker for New Zealand, James said. But it was a little warmer than usual. The hottest day was driven by the events in the Northern Hemisphere, James added. Theres more land mass in the Northern Hemisphere and that land heats up a lot easier than the ocean does. So the northern summer is always the time when the globe is at its warmest. Meyers said the hotter-than-normal weather is expected to persist to at least October. Here was the weather across the motu on July 6: Whangarei. Mostly fine. Recorded maximum temperature: 16.5C. Average high in July: 15.8C. Auckland Airport. Fine. Max temp: 15.7C. July average: 14.8C. Hamilton. Fine. Max temp: 14.7C. July average: 14C. Tauranga. Fine. Max temp: 15.4C. July average: 14.9C. Taupo. Fine. Max temp: 11.8C. July average: 11.1C. New Plymouth. Fine. Max temp: 15.2C. July average: 13.7C. Napier. Fine. Max temp: 15.4C. July average: 14.2C. Palmerston North. Fine. Max temp: 16.4C. July average: 13.1C. Masterton. Light drizzle. Max temp: 11.6C. July average: 13C. Wellington Airport. Light drizzle. Max temp: 12C. July average: 12.6C. Nelson. Fine. Max temp: 13.7C. July average: 13C. Blenheim. Fine. Max temp: 13.1C. July average: 13.2C. Westport. Fine. Max temp: 13.7C. July average: 13C. Kaikoura. Fine. Max temp: 10.8C. July average: 11.7C. Christchurch. Light drizzle. Max temp: 10.6C. July average: 11.6C. Oamaru Airport. Fine. Max temp: 10.3C. July average: 11.1C. Dunedin. Fine. Max temp: 10.1C. July average: 11.2C. Gore. Fine. Max temp: 9.4C. July average: 9.4C. Source: MetService. Here was the weather around the globe that day: Shanghai. Fine. Recorded maximum temperature: 36C. July average: 33C. Kolkata. Light rain. Max temp: 32C. July average: 33C. Athens. Fine. Max temp: 36C. July average: 34C. Rome. Fine. Max temp: 31C. July average: 31C. London. Fine. Max temp: 29C. July average: 24C. New York. Fine. Max temp: 32C. July average 30C. Mexico City. Light rain. Max temp: 26C. July average: 24C. Phoenix, Arizona. Fine. Max temp: 45C. July average: 41C. Source: timeanddate.com. Our weekly email newsletter, by the Forever Project's Olivia Wannan, rounds up the latest climate events. Sign up here .