New Zealand experiences its warmest June since records began

The sun over lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand (Anthony Devline/Archive/PA)

New Zealand has recorded its warmest June since recordkeeping began, as ski fields struggle to open and experts predict shorter southern winters in the future.

A range of factors led to the record, including more winds coming from the milder north rather than the Antarctic south, and unusually warm ocean temperatures, said Gregor Macara, a climate scientist at the government-owned National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.