IN the lead up to the summer of 2014-15 there were dire warnings of an unusually dry season and extreme fire danger.
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But at least in Lithgow’s case the predictions could not have been wider of the mark.
In fact in many respects it could be regarded as the perfect summer.
Now admittedly that’s a big call but the experience was real.
The days were mostly hot, the evenings cool and the regular rain arrived just when it was needed.
The result was one of the best growing seasons in years for pastures and home gardens and not a single serious bushfire to test the brigades.
That at least was the Lithgow city experience; elsewhere across the district the situation was not quite as happy and even as close as Mt Lambie where landholders said conditions had been causing concern prior to last week’s rain.
Rain was recorded in Lithgow on 43 days during the summer for a total 1320 mm.
The heaviest one day reading was a 44 mm deluge across the city on January 17.
Summer officially departed on Saturday with a 28 degree farewell wave.
Then when autumn arrived on Sunday there was a familiar pattern with a severe afternoon thunderstorm.
Torrential rain brought traffic to a standstill at times and resulted in some minor flash flooding at low lying locations.
It provided an unscheduled test for the new flood mitigation work nearing completion along Farmers Creek with pleasing results.
The storm brought down power lines at Little Hartley, resulting in a lengthy blackout for Hartley, Clarence and parts of Lithgow.
Summer Time — aka daylight saving — will continue until the end of this month.