'The hottest pre January temperatures in 80 years' was the ominous report at the weekend; so what will January bring?

It is not lost on our residents that we're approaching the anniversary of our worst bushfires on record.

And when gale force winds came through like a wrecking ball on Sunday the tension was amplified.

While we escaped fires the wind caused plenty of damage, bringing down big trees, shattering small trees, impacting on buildings and resulting in some mercifully brief power failures.

Perhaps the most spectacular outcome was on a large vacant block in Barton Street in Lithgow where a couple of hundred metres of construction site fencing was left a shattered tangle of mesh, piping and brattice.

Despite health warnings people still ventured gamely into challenging outdoor situations and a woman had to be rescued by helicopter from a valley east of Bell after becoming violently ill from heat stress.

And the calendar Summer is only beginning today.

HAVING said all that it's time to seriously consider the danger - in fact the criminal offence - of leaving children or animals in unattended motor vehicles in the heat, or at any other time. A tragedy at the weekend in Queensland with a child dead and the mother charged with manslaughter is a grim reminder.

It's also an offence to leave dogs or other animals without shelter on utes, particularly with an unlined tray which quickly reaches the same temperature as the hot plate on a stove. Spot something then contact the police urgently. You're not dobbing on foolish people; you're possibly saving a life or at least preventing abject misery. Police will smash a window to gain access to a vehicle if they have to and Council rangers can impound endangered animals.

COOK Street Plaza is looking great both day and night after Council completed its annual community Christmas decorations. It's a nice bit of work that captures the spirit of the season so get out and enjoy the ambience of our CBD. You never know what you'll find or who you'll find for a Christmas chat over a coffee or cake.

PLACING advertising posters on public structures is officially illegal around Lithgow although you wouldn't know it with the absence of warning signage. The Council turns a blind eye to signage for garage sales every weekend as long as they're quickly removed after the event (which not always happens).

But seems that Council or RMS will be left with the clean up after a touring fun fair spent two days in Lithgow last week then left behind large posters scattered around town and along the highway at Mt Victoria, Hartley and points west. Not good public relations when you want the use of our showground.