Red ‘blob’ suddenly appears on radar maps off the coast of New Zealand

Giant red ‘blob’ suddenly appears on heat maps off the coast of New Zealand – as scientist warns it could devastate fish and coral in the area

  • A giant hot patch of water has created a red blob on satellite maps off NZ’s coast
  • The blotch stretches tens of thousands of square kilometres and is up to 20C  
  • It is caused by sunny skies, with little wind, beaming down onto an area of ocean
  • Professor James Renwick says it is a normal ocean event, not climate change
  • The shallow layer of warm water, up to 50m, will likely dissipate in coming weeks

A hot patch of water off the eastern coast of New Zealand has created a huge red blob on radar maps as a marine heatwave sweeps the South Pacific Ocean.

The blotch stretches tens of thousands of square kilometres and is one of the warmest sea spots on the planet with temperatures of up to 20C.  

The water is 4C degrees above the average temperature of 10 to 15C, nearing temperatures in the Tropics, which range between 20 and 30C.

Professor James Renwick, a weather and climate researcher at Victoria University, said the phenomenon is caused when an area becomes concentrated with sunshine and little wind.  

A massive red blob off New Zealand’s east coast is a hot patch of water reaching temperatures up to 20C degrees

He said the depth of the warm water depends on wind conditions.  

‘Sea temperatures don’t actually vary too much and a degree, plus or minus, is quite a big deal and this area is probably four degrees or more than that above average and that’s pretty huge,’ Professor Renwick told the NZ Herald.

‘Right in the centre of the ‘blob’ it’s likely to be more than six degrees warmer than average.

‘It’s extremely warm water in terms of differences from average, it’s got to be one of the warmest spots on the planet at the moment.’ 

In 2014, a stronger marine heat wave caused mass destruction between Hawaii, Alaska and California.

The heat wave, dubbed ‘The Blob’, had a devastating impact on seal and sea-bird populations in the area and also caused coral to bleach.  

Climate Researcher Professor James Renwick said the red blob was a normal ocean event and was not linked to climate change

Climate Researcher Professor James Renwick said the red blob was a normal ocean event and was not linked to climate change 

Professor Renwick said the heat wave could cause problems for local marine life if it penetrated beneath the ocean’s surface. 

He said it was more likely the shallow layer of warm water, potentially up to 50m below the surface, would likely fade and dissipate in coming weeks as it heads towards South America. 

The coldest seas are in Antarctica and the Arctic Ocean where water freezes at -2C. 

A marine heatwave is defined as when surface seawater temperatures are warmer than 90 per cent of past measurements for at least five days in a row.

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