Natural, manmade factors behind New Zealand’s hottest year

By NICK PERRY
Associated Press

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand had its hottest year on record in 2022, beating a mark set just a year earlier thanks to a combination of natural weather cycles and manmade global warming, according to the agency that monitors temperatures. The nation’s top four hottest years have all been recorded since 2016, and scientists don’t see the trend reversing. Records are being broken around the globe, with Spain and Britain among other nations to also hit new highs in 2022. In New Zealand, two of the country’s largest ski areas were placed into a type of bankruptcy proceeding in October following a disastrous winter season with barely any snow.