North Canterbury sizzles as Cheviot records the hottest temperature in NZ
Thursday, 14 February 2019
Residents in the small North Canterbury town of Cheviot almost witnessed history on Thursday as temperatures soared to a blistering hot 35.6 degrees Celsius.
The scorching hot temperature recorded by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), is said to be tied for the town's second hottest February temperature on record. It was also the country's hottest on Thursday.
The town's hottest temperature ever recorded was 37.8C on February 8, 2009, according to NIWA.
Cheviot resident Chris Lewis said she could feel the temperature steadily rise as she drove home from Christchurch on Thursday.
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'I stopped in Kaiapoi and Amberley on the way back and I thought it was hot there but as soon as I got back to Cheviot I almost keeled over, it was that hot.'
Lewis' partner John Burnnand said the heat was nothing he had experienced since he moved to the area just over two years ago.
'It was bloody hot and there was absolutely no wind,' he said.
The highest temperature ever recorded in the South Island was 42.4C in Rangiora on February 7, 1973.
NIWA meteorologist Seth Carrier said although the weather was incredibly hot it was not unusual for North Canterbury during February.
Red h❤️t on Valentine's Day!
Cheviot reached 35.6˚C, a tie for the town's 2nd hottest February temperature on record. pic.twitter.com/NfI6UtSCdx
— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) February 14, 2019
He said the temperature was expected to drop over the weekend as a cold front made its way up the South Island through Otago and into Canterbury early on Friday morning.
'This looks like it's going to be more of a one day event because by Saturday temperatures would be quite a bit cooler for North Canterbury. It could be about 10 degrees cooler with highs of around 18 degrees.'
The blistering hot weather is set to return on Tuesday next week and expected to stay until Friday.
Carrier said the hot weather and lack of rain for the Canterbury area increased the risk of fire.
The fire risk for many areas in the Canterbury region has hit extreme with a total fire ban issued for Christchurch, the Port Hills and Banks Peninsula on Tuesday.
The ban prohibits any outdoor fires in the open air being lit. The Waimakariri, Selwyn and Hurunui districts remain in a restricted fire season which meant only permitted fires could be lit.
If the hot weather continues, those areas were also expected to be in a total fire ban by the end of next week, Fire and Emergency New Zealand Christchurch metro area commander Dave Stackhouse earlier said.
Over the past 30 days, Christchurch has been sitting at an average temperature of 26.6C, with a high of 31C on Thursday, according to MetService.
In that time the city has only received 21.2 millimetres of rain with at least eight days reaching 30C or higher.
Cheviot's temperature was closely followed by North Canterbury neighbours Waiau at 35.3C and Hanmer Forest at 35C.