New Zealand weather is proving no exception to the record-breaking extremes occurring around the world, as this year is off to a warm start.
In fact, it's off to the second warmest ever start.
While we may not be experiencing an over 40C heatwave like in Europe, the country is warmer than usual.
On Wednesday, NIWA meteorologists revealed that the first six months of 2022 have been New Zealand's second warmest on record, following 2016 at number one.
With an average national temperature of 15 degrees, the period of January-June was 1.2C above the long-term 1981-2010 normal, according to NIWA's Seven Station Temperature Series that began in 1909.
Relative to their respective monthly averages, NIWA said May was the warmest month and February was the coolest.
Climate change is no joke, with of the 10 warmest January-Junes on record, five have now occurred since 2016.
The first six months of 2021 were the ninth warmest on record, but the heat of the final half of the year made 2021 New Zealand's warmest year on record.
But don't be fooled by the current wet weather, rainfall has also been a story of abnormal weather.
NIWA said for Southland, southern Otago, and Stewart Island/Rakiura abnormally dry or drought conditions developed during summer and persisted, becoming more widespread during autumn.
This resulted in MPI's classification of a medium-scale adverse event for Southland, Clutha, and Queenstown-Lakes and abnormal autumn dryness in Waikato and south Auckland led to a medium-scale adverse event classification in May.
However, in contrast, the impact of ex-tropical cyclones and abundant moisture caused a very wet start to the year across Hawke's Bay and Gisborne.
What's in store for the second half of the year?
Despite a very wet and stormy start to July, NIWA said temperatures for the majority of the country remain above average for this time of year.
This is mainly due to La Niña, which is a weather pattern that occurs in the Pacific Ocean, which is likely to linger for a third year.
La Niña tends to bring warmer temperatures with more north-easterly winds.
NIWA meteorologist and forecaster Ben Noll said that the continued influence of La Niña on New Zealand's climate should continue to keep temperatures on the warmer side for the remainder of the year.
"It's probably going to be another hot year when all is said and done," Noll said. "We will likely get occasional plumes of tropical moisture approaching from the north, the latter influenced by a negative Indian Ocean Dipole event."
"The prospect for more easterly-quarter winds could see western areas of both islands turn drier during spring, which will need to be monitored, particularly as summer approaches."
NIWA said plumes of tropical moisture may approach periodically, but western areas could dry out later in the year.
Noll said later in 2022, the country's coastal sea temperatures could heat up again, following a record marine heatwave earlier in the year.
"This would see the odds for another warmer than average summer increase."
