A blistering hot weekend has broken climate records.
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Readings from Cooerwull weather station saw the weekend’s maximum of 36.9 degrees match the station’s highest record for January temperatures, set in 2013, over its decade-long reporting period.
Sunday brought the highest ever January temperature recorded at Mt Boyce weather station, the station with the most complete climate records in the area – going back to 1991. Sunday’s maximum of 37 degrees broke Mt Boyce’s former highest daily maximum for January of 36.1 degrees, set in 2007.
The 37 degree weather was just 0.2 degrees short of the highest temperature ever recorded at the station, which is 37.2 degrees, recorded in February 2017.
Weatherzone meteorologist Tom Hough said that the front of a low pressure system in south and central Australia created hot conditions in most of NSW.
“North westerly winds were bringing air from that very hot mass creating hot weather across the region,” he said.
Temperatures will fall by Wednesday.
“We’ll see those temperatures cooling, with a cool change in Lithgow late on Tuesday, January 9. Wednesday should be around 22 degrees, which is below average for this time of year.”
Hot winds also brought revelers to Lithgow’s water holes. Park manager of Lake Lyell Andrew Townsend said the weekend saw day-trippers attend the park from as far as Sydney’s eastern suburbs and Goulburn.
“We’ve had about in excess of 400 campers a day and on top of that we averaged 100 cars of day visitors over the weekend.
“We’re always sold out in the Christmas period in terms of campers but that’s above the average for day visitor usage.”
The park’s reserve campsites have been booked out since December 23.
“It’s been pretty much chock-a-block sold out without a spare site up until January 7, with only scattered sites available until after the Australia Day weekend.”
He said improved water sport facilities at the park such as the inflated water obstacle course and kayak hire were proved a pull for campers and visitors in the 2017/2018 holiday season.
A spokesperson for the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District said Lithgow’s emergency department only recorded one heat-related presentation over the weekend, ten were recorded at Blue Mountains District ANZAC Memorial hospital.
