Under the prominent headline ‘Is it hot or not?' (The Weekend Sun, January 11), B Johnson notes: 'The media is awash with claims of the hottest temperatures ever in the country,” with scarcely a mention that the recent extremely cold weather in parts of the Northern Hemisphere 'caused some scientists to suggest the beginning of another Ice Age”.

In fact, his letter highlights the irony of the contrasting weather patterns – all predicted climate change phenomena.

The recent northern polar blasts result from the continuing weakening of the polar vortex and associated jet stream as the Arctic warms ever more rapidly. This periodically spilling sub-zero air over parts of Eurasia and North America while warm air floods in from the north Atlantic and/or Pacific, taking its place. For instance, the North Pole last northern winter, incredibly, was briefly warmer than Paris and London (see image). Serious changes are undoubtedly happening across our planet, but the dawning of another Ice Age is not one of them.

PM Otway, Omokoroa.