New Zealanders have poked fun at health warnings issued after the country was hit by a heatwave that reached only 25C in some of the country’s main cities.
Some described how they had to pause – briefly – while climbing the stairs, and open windows in 21C heat, a far cry from the temperatures of over 49C recorded in Australia as a result of the same weather system.
In some parts of the country temperatures were expected to be six degrees higher than average this week, reaching more than 30C along the east coast of the country, and peaking at 35.3C in Woodbourne. But in many others parts of the country the mercury struggled to push into the mid-20s.
Although the temperatures would seem fairly unremarkable in many countries during summer, health officials have advised New Zealanders to stay inside during the heatwave, avoid alcohol and check on elderly neighbours and children. Taking a cold bath or shower could also help, experts said.
Fire and Emergency told New Zealanders to clear their gutters of leaves and debris, and refrain from mowing the lawn.
Some people said they slept with ice-packs to keep cool, or chewed on ice cubes throughout the day, and described the weather as “like an oven” or “being blasted with a hair dryer”.
The heatwave was at its weakest in the cities of Wellington, Dunedin and Invercargill, where temperatures failed to reach 25C, prompting many to have fun with the warnings.
“It’s 21 degrees in Wellington, I had to open a window” said one resident on Twitter.
Dr Alex Macmillan, a senior lecturer in environmental health at the University of Otago, said the warmer than usual temperatures could still cause havoc for cool-blooded Kiwis.
“While New Zealand’s high temperatures are not like those being seen in Australia, it’s what our bodies are used to and our buildings are designed for that matters most,” she told Stuff. “In New Zealand, this means temperatures in the mid-30 degrees Celsius, which we are simply not prepared for.”
Dunedin heatwave update.
— hamish mcneilly (@southernscoop) January 28, 2019
19.8 degrees.
Paused, briefly, while walking up the stairs.
STAY TUNED
The Stuff news website had rolling coverage of the heatwave, including a report from Napier where the temperature reached 33C.
“Cool breezes emanated from air-conditioned stores down Emerson Street, but they were ineffective in the bid to minimise perspiration,” the report read.
Some companies reported changing their business hours to a Mediterranean schedule to cope, while the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research warned that people might lose sleep due to warm, sticky nights.
“If you have multiple consecutive bad nights of sleep, I think that starts affecting your wellbeing,” Chris Brandolino, Niwa’s principal scientist, told Stuff.
