Last year was hot, hot, hot across Otago. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research released data yesterday revealing New Zealand had its hottest year since records began in 1909.
Niwa forecaster Chris Brandolino said Otago did its bit to help smash the record, with Clyde and Alexandra sharing the nation's top temperature for the year when the mercury soared to 35.5degC on February 3.
Wanaka and Roxburgh recorded their warmest year since Niwa records began.
The mean annual temperature at Wanaka Airport was 11.7degC, 1.2degC above average, the warmest since records began in 1955.
The mean temperature in Roxburgh was 12.1degC, 1.4degC above average, the warmest since 1950.
Otago places recording their second warmest year since records began were Cromwell, Dunedin, Oamaru and Ranfurly.
The mean annual temperature in Dunedin suburb Musselburgh last year was 11.8degC, 0.7degC above average since records began in 1947.
The Queenstown mean temperature of 10.6degC was 0.9degC above average but not warm enough to rank as one of the resort's hottest years.
A temperature average was unavailable for Balclutha because the weather station only opened in 2005 and more than 25 years of data was needed to establish a pattern, Mr Brandolino said.
The average temperatures in Oamaru and Alexandra were near average.
Alexandra had the third-lowest rainfall (377mm) in New Zealand last year but it was too high to set any record of note.
About 130km away, Milford Sound had its highest rainfall year (9259mm).
The weather events for Niwa in Otago last year included when scores of 4WD enthusiasts were trapped by snow on the Old Man Range in Central Otago in May and when State Highway 8 between Millers Flat and Roxburgh was closed because of flooding in September, Mr Brandolino said.
Richmond was the sunniest place in the country last year, with 2840 hours, followed by Blenheim, Takaka and New Plymouth.
The mean temperature in New Zealand last year was 13.4degC, 0.83degC above the long-term average.
The three main influences making New Zealand hotter last year were warmer ocean temperatures, more winds from the north and northwest than usual and climate change.
``New Zealand has warmed about one degree over the past 100 years and that is due to an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and that produces a steady, long-term warming.''
Forest & Bird chief executive Kevin Hague said rising temperatures would have ``disastrous consequences'' for New Zealand's wildlife unless more was done to cut emissions and fund environmental research. ``Yellow-eyed penguins, kea, and tuatara are already showing some signs of climate change-induced stress.''
The yellow-eyed penguin population dropped from 491 to about 190 breeding pairs between 2012 and 2016 and researchshowed a factor was ``mass starvation'' due to climate change, he said.
The tuatara was threatened because the ``sex ratio'' of baby tuatara changes with temperature. When it was warmer, more males developed, he said. At 4degC warmer it was possible only male tuatara would develop, which could result in the end of the species, Mr Hague said.
Kea would be threatened by introduced predators as warmer temperatures allowed pests to live at higher altitudes.
