
Exceptional Heat Sweeps New Caledonia Amid Southern Hemisphere Winter
New Caledonia, located in the southern Pacific Ocean, is currently experiencing unusually high temperatures that defy the typical expectations of the Southern Hemisphere winter. For years, the territory’s southernmost islands have been breaking temperature records month after month, and June 2025 is no exception.
This month, New Caledonia has recorded its hottest June nights ever, with Ouvea Island registering a minimum temperature of 24.8°C, while nearby Lifou Island reported a minimum of 24.1°C. These values are exceptionally warm for June, a month that usually brings cooler, more temperate conditions to this part of the world.
Such high overnight temperatures during winter highlight a broader pattern of rising heat anomalies across Oceania, where climate records are continually being shattered. The persistence of these warm nights is indicative of shifting climate trends, with significant implications for the islands’ ecosystems, water resources, and local communities.
Heatwave in Cocos Islands
Among the standout records is the tiny Cocos Islands, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, which recorded an exceptionally high maximum temperature of 32.0°C—setting a new June record for the islands. This extreme heat in a small, typically tropical maritime environment highlights the pervasive nature of the warming.

Illustration picture: https://www.travelandleisureasia.com/sg/destinations/cocos-keeling-islands-australias-actual-hidden-gem/