NEW ZEALAND has just experienced its hottest summer on record, while the surrounding Tasman Sea experienced a surface temperature spike of more than 2°C above average, according to new data.

The Bureau of Meteorology and New Zealand’s National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research today released the ‘Special Climate Statement’ showing the alarming weather patterns recorded.

“New Zealand has sweltered through its hottest summer, while this latest data also confirms Tasmania experienced its hottest November to January on record,’ said Acting Climate Council CEO and Head of Research, Dr Martin Rice.

“These records come after the hottest five year period globally was declared between 2013 – 2017, along with Australia’s warmest winter on record in 2017,” he said.

The joint data release confirms New Zealand’s summer was the hottest it has seen, with temperatures rising to more than 2°C above average.

“Worsening climate change, driven by the burning of coal, oil and gas, is causing temperatures to rise at unprecedented rates and is making extreme weather events across Australia and elsewhere more intense, damaging and costly.”

Dr Rice said this latest record breaking data comes comes just after Port Douglas experienced its wettest march day on record and nearby Cairns was inundated with over half of its monthly rainfall average, with 217.6mm falling in just 24 hours.

“As 2018 gets underway, we’ve already seen the country hit with a series of extreme weather events, including tropical cyclones, severe heatwaves, intense rainfall and bushfires,” he said.

“For Australia to tackle climate change and curb current extreme weather trends, we need to quickly and deeply cut our greenhouse gas pollution by continuing our transition to clean, affordable and reliable renewable energy and storage technologies.”

“To do this we need strong and credible Federal climate and energy policy. The Federal Government’s proposed National Energy Guarantee is a policy that will do nothing but guarantee failure when it comes to tackling climate change.”

The Climate Council has created a climate and energy policy roadmap ‘Clean & Reliable Power: Roadmap to a Renewable Future’, outlining 12 key principles that are essential to tackling climate change in Australia.

For more information please contact Communications Officer Brianna Hudson on 0416 449 119.