Tuesday’s early morning temperature was the coldest start to a day in more than four months.

Figures from the Bureau of Meteorology, taken at the official weather station at Bathurst Airport, reported the mercury dropping to two degrees at 7am, the coldest overnight minimum since the 0.5 recorded on October 2 last year.

Despite the frosty start, the temperature ended up reaching 23 degrees later in the day. 

Forecasts have the temperature rising steadily throughout the rest of the week, with it predicted to get to 31 degrees on both Thursday and Friday. 

Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said March would end warm and dry, but April would have a relatively cool start.

“[It’s] certainly a warm end to the month and there is no significant rain,” he said.

“It looks like a cool change is going to come through Friday night, Saturday morning. There is a chance of a shower on the weekend and early next week, but there’s not much in it.” 

These higher temperatures will exacerbate Bathurst’s average maximum temperature for March, which is already three degrees above the long-term average of 24.7 degrees. 

However, Mr Dutschke said it is in line with what the city has seen in recent years. 

“So far in March it has been no hotter than March in the last two years, that is combining nights and days,” he said.