WHILE Bathurst is certainly in a better position this month than in July, there is still a long way to go for the city to reach its average figures.
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Across August, the average minimum and maximum temperatures have stayed in line with the long-term figures for the city.
However, when it comes to rainfall, the 2018 recordings have left much to be desired.
According to Weatherzone, which takes its figures from Bathurst Agricultural Research Station, there has been a total of 21.8 millimetres of rain, falling over five days.
The long-term average for August in Bathurst is 50mm.
“We have currently experienced just over 40 per cent of the running average for this month for Bathurst,” meteorologist Graeme Brittain said.
“There is still a chance for the gap to narrow.”
While the gap may close before the end of the month, there won’t be much help in the coming week.
The most likely day for rain is Saturday, with a 70 per cent chance of up to 5mm.
Mr Brittain said the weekend will quickly become quite cold as well, similar to the wintry conditions experienced last weekend.
The cold snap will hit a lot of the Central West.
“There will be a noticeable drop in temperature,” Mr Brittain said.
“By Sunday, we will see temperatures struggling to reach double digits.”
In Bathurst, the temperature is forecast to go from a moderate 15 degrees Celsius on Saturday, down to a top of just eight degrees on Sunday.
Looking ahead to the coming months, Mr Brittain said that Bathurst will continue to struggle to reach its average rainfall figures, with climate models indicating drier conditions.
“There is no strong signals over the next three months or so of any significant rainfall,” he said.
To date, Bathurst has received 237.5mm of rain throughout 2018.
This is only 59 per cent of the average long-term figure to August, which is 402.9mm.
Adding to this, last month was the third driest July on record for Bathurst.
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