The heat’s been on

It’s summer, and that means it gets hot (by local standards). Actually, that usually happens when we get a summer, unlike last year. This year we’ve been having a summer, and lately it’s been hot (by local standards). And I’m totally here for it.

Back in the land of my birth, a lot of people I know have been posting on social media about how cold it is in their part of the USA, and the preparations they made to cope, and how they’re doing. Honestly, that kind of bitter cold is precisely the thing I don't miss in any way—I’d much rather have the milder winters we have in the upper North Island of New Zealand.

Summer here is also milder than what I was used to in Northeastern Illinois. Every summer, there was at least one week in which the daytime temperatures climbed to 105F (40.6C) or so. The highest-ever recorded temperature in New Zealand was 42.4C (108.3F), and that was on February 7, 1973 in the North Canterbury town of Rangiora. [See also: ”New Zealand's five hottest days in history”].

Heat is relative, of course: One person may swelter in higher temperatures, where another may thoroughly enjoy it. Our recent hot weather was particularly pronounced in parts of the South Island, as is so often the case, with most of the North Island being cooler. In fact, the overall climate of parts of Otago and Canterbury reminds me of Chicago’s.

Things were different in the upper North Island. Our high temperatures in Hamilton tended to be around 27-28C (80.6-82.4F) during the heatwave. By my standards, I might call those temperatures by themselves “quite warm” rather than “hot”, however, there was also pretty high humidity at the same time, and as we all know—all Chicagoans especially—it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity. The moist air felt much warmer than it actually was, and it was uncomfortable.

The worst of the temperature spikes eased a few days ago, and while it's still warm (or hot…), it's definitely better. All these high temperatures mean there’s also been a lot of sunshine, and that means that my air conditioning was free in the daytime—one of the main reasons I had the solar panels installed: I wanted to keep my house comfortable without paying huge sums of money to do it.

Still, I’m not even remotely insensitive or unsympathetic to those who suffer in the heat: I, too, cut back on outside activities when the heatwave set in, just as in the coldest part of winter I also stay inside. I may not think the temperatures where I live in in New Zealand are as extreme as in my native Northeastern Illinois, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel the high or low temperatures—I do, and I adjust accordingly.

As I’ve said many times, I actually like summer a lot. Late spring and early autumn are okay, too, but I have no love for winter. Even so, the truth is that the climate here in the upper North Island totally suits me. The seasonal adaptations I make here also suit me much more than my adaptations in Chicago.

There are many reasons I decided to stay in New Zealand rather than return to the USA, and weather and climate was definitely part of it—though probably not the biggest reason. Still, whenever people wonder why I decided against returning, all they need to do is look at the bitterly cold weather in parts of the USA this week, and compare that to the hot (by local standards) temperatures here recently. For me, it’s an easy choice to make.