2016 was hottest year ever recorded in New Zealand
2016 was hottest year ever recorded in New Zealand - That was nearly 1 degree Celsius warmer than normal and fractionally hotter than the previous record set in 1998. The climate agency began keeping records in 1909. Agency forecaster Chris Brandolino said ocean temperatures around New Zealand were warmer than normal for the first seven months of 2016 and that winds during the year came more often than usual from the north rather than the cooler south.