No local heat records were broken during December and it’s early days for January. But this is little consolation in the midst of a nine-day run of 30-plus degree days.

At the Mudgee Airport weather station during December 2018 there were 20 days peaking above 30. The mean-maximum temp (31.2°C) was the equal-third highest December at the location, the record being 31.6°C in 2013.

The Gulgong Post Office weather station had an average of 32.4°C, which was its hottest December in five years.

The Bureau of Meteorology defines a heatwave as three or more days of high maximum and minimum temperatures that are unusual for a given location.

And the Mid-Western Region’s three BOM weather stations have more than qualified under that criteria during the past nine days – the daytime tops in particular, with temps going five to nine degrees above average. 

The Thursday to Sunday stretch is forecast to keep topping out above 30 degrees before a cold front is set to cross NSW, bringing a large temperature drop after a sweltering fortnight.

But the cool airmass behind this cold front isn’t expected to linger over the state for too long and the mercury is set to climb again from next week.

With 86mm, December was one of the few months in 2018 to surpass its monthly rainfall average in Mudgee – albeit only just when compared to the norm of 84.9mm.

The 24-hour period prior to 9am on Thursday the 20th was by far the wettest with 39.6mm. This saw the Mudgee unit of the State Emergency Service (SES) receive seven calls for assistance from the public, mainly trees and leaking roofs.