Monday is set to be one of Tamworth's hottest ever October days.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The hottest October day on record fell on October 26, 2014 when the thermometer reached 38.6 degrees.
This Monday, Tamworth is predicted to hit 37 degrees - a staggering 12 degrees above the mean maximum average for October.
Meteorologist Helen Reid said the heat was abnormal for October and in particular for this early in the month.
"We often get some hot days through the course of October, and quite often towards the end of the month, but for this so early in October - to have temperatures hovering in the mid to high 30s - that is significantly above the average for this time of year," she Reid said.
Tamworth won't be the hottest place in the North West, though, with Moree, Narrabri and Wee Waa all set to reach 39 degrees.
A string of 30-degree days will start in Tamworth on Friday and end on Tuesday when a cold front moves through the state.
While the front will see temperatures dip to 29 in Tamworth, fire danger will still be high.
"We do have the recipe for fires. We have the hot, dry air and then with the cold front moving through, that will increase the wind speeds," Ms Reid said.
The Bureau of Meteorology's latest climate outlook doesn't bode well for the rest of the year either:
- Rainfall is likely to be below average across most of the country, excluding northern WA, for the remainder of 2019 with high chances of a drier October and November in particular.
- Daytime temperatures are very likely to be above average across Australia for all outlook periods, with a spell of hot weather likely in early October.
- Nights are likely to be cooler than average in the NT's Top End during October, but elsewhere generally warmer than average.
- A positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is likely to remain the dominant climate driver for Australia until at least the end of spring.
- A prolonged period of negative SAM (Southern Annular Mode) may also contribute to the dry/warm outlooks for eastern Australia during October and November.
