Heatwave at Auckland Airport: JKs Driving Range

The early weeks of January 2026 in Aotearoa New Zealand is the height of a memorable summer. Recent days around South Auckland and the Airport have unfolded in a pattern of steady, unrelenting warmth, the kind that doesn’t shout with extreme temperatures but instead settles in with a quiet persistence. Each afternoon has climbed into the low to mid‑twenties, yet the combination of strong sun, dry air, and Auckland’s famously high UV index has made the heat feel far more intense than the numbers alone suggest. It has been a stretch of weather defined less by drama and more by consistency — a kind of summer rhythm that asserts itself day after day.

Summer Heat

JKs Driving Range

JKs Driving Range was comfortably warm in mid-morning.  Most of the bays were busy, men, a few women and youngsters working their way through buckets filled with approximately 100 balls. After warming up with a wedge, I worked my way through to a 5-iron, fairway woods and driver. I practiced using the “L to L” swing, it was patchy as always with a shank annoying me. As soon as I switched to a stronger grip, showing three knuckles, the swing with the sound of a good strike, returned.

Heat on the Course

Golf changes character the moment the heat rises. Having a water bottle in your bag is a must in this weather. What begins as a leisurely walk across a mown fairway becomes a test of patience, precision, and hydration. Every decision feels heavier; from the club you pull to the tempo of your swing.

A blistering afternoon demands discipline. The drive that normally sails effortlessly can balloon or dive if you rush it, the sun tricking your timing. Even the short game becomes a study in restraint. A simple pitch shot, usually a comfortable motion, requires extra touch when the ground firms up and the greens quicken. Suddenly, the ball releases, farther than expected, rolling past your target as if mocking your confidence.

More Weather

Today continued that theme, with temperatures hovering around 23°C and not a hint of rainfall. Westerly and south-westerly winds swept across the airport precinct, gusting into the mid‑40s at times, offering brief relief but also carrying that familiar Auckland dryness. Yesterday mirrored these conditions almost exactly: warm, bright, and wind‑brushed, with occasional gusts in the high 30s and the ground remaining firm underfoot after days without moisture.

Two days ago, brought the slightest shift, a degree or two cooler, but still unmistakably hot in the sun. The air remained dry, the skies clear, and the winds steady from the southwest. Even three days ago, the “coolest” of the four, the airport saw highs around 20–21°C, still accompanied by the same pattern of dry conditions with barely a breeze. Across all four days, the rain gauge stayed stubbornly at zero.

The Real Heat

Leaving JKs around 1pm, after a pie and coke I headed home to mow the lawns, a large backyard and moderate front section. I struggled, feeling as though there was not enough in the tank to finish the job. When done the heat got to me, I felt faint, exhausted, fatigued.  Still, the satisfaction I felt viewing a smooth lawn, as I rested in the shade, was bliss.