Dear Editor,

“What’s the weather like with you?” The most common telephone question ever asked. We all ask it. It’s a conversation opener rather like the glib “How are you today?” that greets us at check out desks, shops, banks, in fact anywhere where a friendly introduction helps business.

Well, the weather down here in New Zealand has been rather odd. January was officially the hottest month yet recorded. The mean air temperature was three degrees Celsius warmer than usual, based on the country’s century old seven-station record. I am not sure what that all means but it has been warm and sunny in Christchurch. Thank you for asking.

No sooner is January over and a Minister of Drought is appointed (memories of UK 1976) and the heavens opened; floods, tempests and storms ravaged the South and West of The South Island in Biblical proportions and the inevitable discussion of climate change and global warming dominated the Press. Massive ice fields in the Southern Alps are quickly melting which in turn affects the levels of Alpine rivers and the lakes for hydro-electricity.

My very learned professor friend is a strong denier of climate change. He says that climate has always changed and it has done so naturally with varying degrees of drama and rapidity and that we have another Ice Age coming in a thousand years. Well that’s something to look forward to!