Mount Maunganui beach remains a popular spot for people seeking to cool off in the heat. Photo / Alex Cairns
Fan sales are going “ballistic” as the Bay of Plenty enjoys – or endures – a sizzling start to summer.
Tauranga recorded a new December record high (since 1941) of 31.2C on Sunday, according to MetService, with Rotorua hitting 28C – it’s fourth-hottest December day since 1972.
The sunny spell has largely continued, and is not expected to let up until mid-next week.
Mitre 10 Mega Tauranga had seen “abnormal” and “ballistic” fan sales over the past two weeks, selling hundreds of fans.
Store manager Bryan Guilford said mid-January to mid-February was usually when fan sales really started cranking.
“We haven’t had our usual hot months yet. But we’re already seeing those sorts of volumes going out now.”
MetService said Friday was expected to reach about 27C, with temperatures in the early 20s over the weekend.
Earth Science NZ’s seasonal climate outlook said temperatures were likely to be above average across the Bay of Plenty for December through to February.
GP at Fifth Avenue Family Practice and president of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners, Dr Luke Bradford, said the practice had treated a couple of cases of heatstroke this week.
“There’s normally a raised body temperature, headache, exhaustion, nausea, and vomiting. People can be hot and clammy or bone-dry.
“In severe cases, people get confused and disoriented. If it gets very bad, they seize or pass out.”
There was also the danger of people drinking alcohol and further dehydrating themselves.
“We want to get out the message to look after yourselves. If you start to get those symptoms, go and see a doctor.”
Public health medical specialist Dr Jim Miller said there was no obvious increase in presentations to emergency departments over the weekend caused by the hot weather.
People could call Healthline on 0800 611 116 for free health advice.
Build Rotorua Ltd owner Chris Reid said he felt like he was “working in the mines over in Australia” the past couple of weeks.
He said he was making sure staff took regular water breaks and had electrolytes.
“Compared to last year, it’s definitely a lot hotter this summer, earlier.
“We’re not even mid-December, and we’re already hitting almost 30C.”
Reid was also a volunteer firefighter for the Ngongotahā Volunteer Fire Brigade, and said he gets quite hot inside his firefighting kit.
He recently competed in Tauranga’s City to Surf half-marathon while wearing the 25kg gear.
“It’s designed to keep heat out, but it also works the opposite way: keeping heat in.
“So when your body heats up, it naturally keeps the heat stored in there until you’re able to open it up.”
Electrician at Emac Electrical in Tauranga, Jake Raybould, said he works in rooms with minimal ventilation and a lot of heat flow, including laundries and roof spaces.
He said temperatures can reach almost 60C inside a roof.
“The ambient temperatures are almost twice as high as the air temperature. It’s insufferable.”
Raybould said some electricians shed layers of clothing or took a water bottle to make it more tolerable.
Surf Lifesaving New Zealand Eastern region lifesaving manager Chaz Gibbons-Campbell said there were a lot more people out on the beaches, especially after work.
Volunteer lifeguards are on duty during the weekend, while paid lifeguards work Monday to Friday across Mount Maunganui, Tay St, Omanu Beach and Pāpāmoa.
Gibbons-Campbell advised the public to avoid the hottest part of the day, seek shade, drink lots of water, put lots of sunscreen on and “wear a nice big hat”.
“Please swim in front of the lifeguard tower where there are lifeguards on patrol, and if you’re not a confident swimmer, stay out of the water.”
While people were flocking to the beach, head of aquatics at Bay Venues Matthew Strange said indoor aquatic centres and pools had been quieter.
“A lot of our recreational swimmers tend to head out to enjoy our amazing local beaches, rivers and lakes.”
Strange said the seasonal outdoor pools at Memorial Park and in Te Puke were open, and the community pool in Katikati would be opening soon.
Facility manager of Rotorua Aquatic Centre Leah Burgess said the pools were busy hosting school groups wrapping up the year, “as well as lots of families who start coming in as soon as summer hits”.
Bijou Johnson is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty. A passionate writer and reader, she grew up in Tauranga and developed a love for journalism while exploring various disciplines at university. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from Massey University.