After an exhausting November, with maximum temperatures almost 4 degrees above average, and only 36.2mm of rain, 21mm of that coming in one day, residents can expect the weather to ease off a little after the weekend, as tomorrow is tipped to be a sweltering 39-degrees as well.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), citizens n from page 1

can relax as a low pressure trough will slowly sweep through northern NSW late on Sunday night, bringing more thunderstorms and reducing temperatures to around 34 degrees on Monday, although they will stay about that mark throughout the entire week.

Tamworth has not seen a drier November since equal 1997 and 1993 seasons, with rainfall normally averaging 66.4mm, almost double what the area received this year, although we have fared better than some of our neighbours.

“The El Nino pattern is not developing as quickly as the bureau first expected,, which is good news for farmers, with a 65 per cent chance of higher-than-average rainfall for summer quite similar to last year, except for the extraordinary 256mm Tamworth received in February,” A BOM spokesman said.

Across the North West Slopes and Plains temperatures soared with Moree hitting 40 degrees yesterday, with a fiery 41 degrees expected today and tomorrow.

Gunnedah has fared no better with a thermometer-exploding 42 degrees forecast across the weekend, before dropping back to 37 degrees with some decent thunderstorms late tomorrow night.

Both those regions have had very hot and dry finishes to spring, with Moree only receiving 5.8mm of rain for the month, more than 50mm below the average.