There are very real fears the primary sector is facing a potentially dire season as conditions normally expected during the heatwave summer months arrive well ahead of time.

Hot and windy conditions over the past couple of weeks started the trend but, according to Weatherzone.com.au, the worst is yet to come.

Its forecast for the Bathurst region in coming days is ominous. Apart from the chance of a possible shower on Sunday and Monday, the temperatures tell the story.

Today the region can expect a temperature range of 9-32 degrees, followed by 14-34 degrees and 25km/h north westerly winds on Friday.

Saturday is also nasty, with a forecast of 13-35 degrees, while Sunday is 15-36 degrees, Monday 16-33 before some partial relief on Tuesday with 14-27 degrees.

NSW Farmers’ Association Bathurst branch president Ian Hendry said yesterday the season had gone downhill in the blink of an eye.

“And now we’ve got another heatwave coming through,” he said. “Everything is going off [drying out] quicker than we could have imagined. The hot, dry winds haven’t helped and pastures have gone to seed and any green feed is disappearing fast.

“People are starting to worry. The stock market has fallen away over the past week or so, and summer isn’t even here yet.”

Mr Hendry said the conditions were more like what you would expect in summer.

“I hate to think what we will be getting in January or February if it’s like this now,” he said. “There’s a lot of comment about the amount of water lost through evaporation and surface water in dams is looking very sick.

“Water is often the critical thing for farmers. They can buy in feed but without water they can’t keep a herd intact. You just can’t cart enough water for a decent sized herd. It’s impossible. It costs too much money.

“Anyone who is looking to dig holes for fencing or laying pipe will tell you there’s no moisture in the soil and the ground is rock hard – conditions you would expect in a few months’ time.

“And crops will go off before Christmas and that’s unusual for around here.”

Meanwhile, the latest Seasonal Conditions Report from the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) for October released yesterday has revealed well below average rainfall was recorded across most of the state, combined with record daytime temperatures.

DPI Seasonal Conditions co-ordinator Ian McGowen said that while good rain was needed in many areas, drier and warmer than normal conditions were likely across NSW between November and January.

“During October we saw below average rainfall across 88 per cent of the state, and at the same time daytime temperatures were the highest on record,” Mr McGowen said.

“Unfortunately, predictions are for these drier-than-normal conditions to continue across most of NSW for the November to January period.”

Mr McGowen said earlier this week the Bureau of Meteorology reviewed the likelihood of an El Nino event occurring, and consider that there was now a 70 per cent chance.