New Zealand's glaciers are shrinking as ice melts at an accelerating rate, a top government scientist warned Monday after concluding a monitoring expedition in the country's Southern Alps.

We flew to the southern-most glaciers, ones that we’ve not seen since 2018," said Lorrey on the back of this year’s trip.

“One is now two thirds of the size it was on our last visit,” he added.

The institute said that New Zealand had experienced seven of its hottest years on record over the past decade.

Even if this trend was to be reversed, Lorrey said that many glaciers were too far gone to be saved.

“Even if we got a few cooler seasons, they wouldn’t be enough to undo the damage that’s already been done,” he said.

“That’s how stark it is, and it’s not just happening in New Zealand but all over the world.”