New Zealand experienced its fifth-warmest winter on record, with warmer June and July temperatures offset by a cooler-than-average August. The nation
New Zealand experienced its fifth-warmest winter on record, with warmer June and July temperatures offset by a cooler-than-average August. The nationwide average temperature for August 2023 was 8.4°C, which was 0.55°C below the 1991-2020 August average, according to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA). August’s cooler temperatures were attributed to high-pressure zones in the Tasman Sea and southeast of the country, creating a corridor for cool and dry southern air, indicative of a developing El Niño weather pattern. Despite the cooler August, scientists predict 2024 to be the hottest year on record globally due to El Niño.
