South Burning Island: temperatures close to 40 ° C in Canterbury

The people of Canterbury are experiencing scorching temperatures today, with some parts of the area as high as 40 ° C.

There are unconfirmed reports of 40 ° C in Temuca, according to WeatherWatch.

Metservice meteorologist said that although predictor thermometers only record temperatures in the late 1930s, reports as high as 40 ° C are not “unreasonable”.

“Not all thermometers are equal. The same air temperatures can be read differently by two different scales because they are not identical in accuracy or precision.

“The terminal temperature we have at Timaru Airport has reached 37.5 degrees Celsius, so it is unreasonable for someone in their home to reach the 40 degrees Celsius mark.”

Other parts of Canterbury are experiencing high temperatures in the mid-30 ° C.

According to WeatherWatch, Amberly was sitting at 38 ° C as Geraldine was at 2.30pm.

Christchurch sits at 31 ° C and Dunden at 26 ° C.

Temperatures are expected to reach 36 ° C in Christchurch, 34 ° C in Blenheim and 30 ° C in Dunedin.

MetService meteorologist Alwyn Bakker said the temperature is 13 degrees Celsius higher than the average temperature in Garden City for this time of year.

Fire permits have been suspended for most of the South Island.

Passes are granted when the area is in a specific season and are suspended in Canterbury indefinitely.

They were also suspended in the Nelson area except for Nelson Lakes, Murchison and Golden Bay West for 48 hours.

New Zealand Fire and Emergency Response Coordinator Colin Russell said that with predictions of higher temperatures and strong winds, removing active fire permits reduces the likelihood of fires getting out of control.

“Please, avoid any spark-generating activities, such as outdoor grinding and cutting of metal, or using agricultural machinery. Even mowing lawn can cause sparks for an out of control fire. Also check previous burning sites for hot coals and if you see Fire, call 111 immediately.

“As an organization we are well prepared to respond to any incidents across Canterbury.”

“We have crews on standby and are ready to protect our communities in the event of a fire.”

Crews spent Tuesday morning continuing to work to contain a major fire that started at Pines Beach on Monday.

Russell said the 31-hectare fire is now 60 percent contained, but is under control.

“We have about 30 firefighters working on the fire, in addition to heavy machinery.”

“There are still fire sites where our staff are managing active fires.”

Russell said they’ll likely be there for at least a few more days.

Temperatures are set to reach scorching levels in the south.

It was 24C at six in the morning on Mount Cook.

Blue Skies Weather’s Tony Triwynard told NewstalkZB’s Chris Lynch that he would describe it as “extremely hot”.

“This will probably be the hottest day of the summer in Canterbury. It’s our first day above 30 degrees in January and maybe all summer.”

“It happens because we have some very warm air from inland Australia that has run away across the Tasman River.”

Temperatures across the South Island have been high so far this week and are expected to continue.

“Christchurch is currently looking at three consecutive days with more than 5 degrees Celsius above average,” Packer said.

It is considered a heat wave when temperatures are 5 ° C above average for five days.

The sun’s rays are not expected to continue throughout the week and the front is expected to bring about an impressive change in most parts of the country starting Thursday.

Dr Ramon Pink, the Canterbury chief medical officer, said that while we may welcome hot weather, overheating is a condition that can be fatal.

“It is especially important to stay out of the sun where possible, avoid extreme physical exertion and make sure that pets and people are not left alone in stationary cars.

“While we are all exposed to extreme temperatures, some people are at particular risk. This includes the elderly, infants, children, pregnant women, and people with chronic, acute and severe illnesses.”

Pink said people whose work involves strenuous outdoor physical activity should be especially vigilant to avoid overheating in hot weather.

“It is important for people who are exposed to hot weather for long periods of time to carry water with them and drink at least a pint an hour, allow more breaks in the shade, reapply sunscreen every two hours, and identify the hardest jobs in the coldest part of the day.

“In addition to being sunny, if you have to go outside, everyone is advised to keep their homes cool by closing the blinds on windows that are exposed to direct sunlight, opening the windows to get a breeze if the weather is cooler inside, and considering using a cycle cooler on heat pumps “.

Hot weather comes on the heels of a bleak summer in Christchurch with long periods of below average temperatures.