This July has been the second warmest July in New Zealand records, according to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA).
July's climate summary makes for interesting reading, and is in stark contrast to the cold weather that has been sweeping up the country since last week.
All schools are closed in the Southland town as winter bites.
In July, NIWA says: "Temperatures were above or well above average nearly everywhere across New Zealand, with the most unusually warm temperatures in the interior South Island and parts of Manawatu-Whanganui."
The highest recorded temperature went to Wakanui, Ashburton, which hit 21.6 degrees on July 3.
The lowest temperature was slightly farther south at Clyde on July 7, hitting a bone chilling -6.2 degrees.
"It has now been 30 months since New Zealand experienced a nationwide average temperature that was below average (0.51 degrees to 1.20 degrees below the 1981-2010 average).
"Queenstown typically observes 7 days above 10 degrees in July, however this July they recorded 16 days over 10 degrees," NIWA says.
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