Bathurst's three consecutive days of 30 degrees or above is noteworthy compared with last summer

The city did something this week that it did not do at all last December, January or February: put together three days in a row of 30 degrees or above.

Those temperatures were, according to the official record, 31.8 degrees on Monday (the city's new hottest day of 2022), 30.8 degrees on Tuesday and 31.5 degrees on Wednesday.

Thursday - when the city's temperature was 27 degrees at 1pm - is forecast to break the spell as east/southeasterly winds take the edge off.

In terms of last summer, Bathurst did have consecutive 30-degree days back in mid-January, but they were bookended by a maximum of 28 and a very cool 21.8 (with some rain).

There was also a 29, 31 and 29 to start off the 2022 new year.

IN OTHER NEWS:

For a run of temperatures at the other end of the scale, Bathurst had five days in a row from August 12 in which the temperature didn't get above 11.1 degrees and four days in mid-July where the consecutive minimums were -1.8, -3.8, -5.5 and -1.5.

And for a taste of real heat, Bathurst needs only look back to the summer of 2019-20 - when, in early January, the city had marked the 10th consecutive day of maximums over 35 degrees.

"Bathurst's average maximum temperature for December is 26.5 degrees and January is 28.4 degrees, so any lengthy continuous spell of temperatures reaching seven to nine degrees above average is unusual," Weatherzone meteorologist Graeme Brittain said at the time.

Thankfully, temperature relief - and rain - was forecast.

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