GORDON LIGHTFOOT | National
MORE HOT DAYS AHEAD
You may or may not have noticed it, but the last month and a bit has been quite hot.
Although hot weather is obviously a cause for concern and/or panic, some meteorologists believe that the soaring temperatures are a result of it being summer.
While this may seem hard to believe, there is some science to back up the claim.
Meteorologist Harry Bollinger says that the tilt of the earth’s axis, coupled with the earth’s year-long rotation around the sun, means that New Zealand gets more direct sunlight in the summer months than in the rest of the year.
“Believe it or not, the heat we’re feeling at the moment is a direct result of the Southern Hemisphere’s position in relation to the sun,” he explained excitedly.
“The sun is a great source of heat, and when sunlight shines more directly on an area at a certain time of year, it gets hotter.
“We call this summer.”
While many are sceptical that the temperature of the earth is influenced by the sun, Bollinger is prepared to stand behind his bold theory.
“We’ve actually known that heat comes from the sun for a long time, but I suppose it can be easy to forget sometimes,” he laughed.
“There are all sorts of claims being made on the internet by various people, but if there’s one thing to take away from all this, it would be that summer is hot.”
More to come.
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