People have been flocking to beaches all over the country as summer temperatures have been on average 2.3 degrees higher than usual. Photo: ODT filesIt's official - this summer is already the hottest on record, with four days still to go, according to new data from the climate agency Niwa. Summer temperatures have been 2.3°C hotter than average, 0.5° above the previous record, which dated back more than 80 years. Niwa meteorologist Ben Noll said with summer not yet ended, it was likely the record-breaking average would push higher. The country may continue to bask in warmer temperatures through autumn because because oceans cool more slowly than land.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 24, 2018 04:52 UTC