After weeks of scorching temperatures across the region that have made even the nights sweaty and uncomfortable, the temperature dropped to single figures overnight on Sunday.

The lowest temperature was 8 degrees at 6am Monday – a long way off the sub-zero conditions we can expect in winter but still a shock to the system after the few weeks we’ve had.

The mercury was predicted to dip even lower on Monday night – down to 5 degrees – but then it will be business as usual for the rest of the week with top temperatures above 30 degrees and minimums around the 13 degree mark until Sunday.

THE return to blanket weather – even if briefly – got Parade thinking about all things winter and brought the realisation that it’s just over a week until the NRL kicks off.

Some tinkering with the draw over the off-season means the league has done away with Monday night games this year and replaced them with a weekly Thursday night fixture.

Premiers Cronulla will kick off the 2017 season next Thursday, March 2 when they take on the Broncos before the Bulldogs and Storm and Rabbitohs and Tigers play the two Friday night games 24 hours later.

But Bathurst fans will have to wait a little longer for their biggest game of the year when the Penrith Panthers return to Carrington Park for the fourth match of a five-year deal with Bathurst Regional Council.

This year’s match will be a replay of last year’s clash against the Canberra Raiders and is set down for Saturday, June 10. We can’t wait.

SPEAKING of big days, Eglinton is gearing up for the biggest day on the village’s annual calendar this weekend.

The Eglinton Country Fair returns this Saturday and is always a great day out.

It’s also a fundraiser for the Eglinton Public School so take the chance to support a great cause.