2019 saw the hottest ever January at the Mid-Western Region’s three weather stations with a total of 11 heat records broken - most by around 1.5 degrees each.
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All three stations recorded their highest January; mean temperature; mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures.
The high mean figures illustrated the sustained heat of the month, along with the fact that Mudgee Airport and Gulgong Post Office weather stations both had just one day that peaked below 30°C (Monday the 21st).
Furthermore the Gulgong location also recording its highest January temperature on Wednesday the 16th when the mercury hit 42.7°C.
The night prior to 9am on that date was the warmest January overnight temp at the Nullo Mountain Weather Station in the Rylstone/Kandos area at a balmy 24.5°C.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the main contributor to this heat was a persistent high pressure system in the Tasman sea which was blocking any cold fronts and cooler air from impacting the south of the country.
January did see plenty of rain to the region though, which was a welcome change after 2018 had only about two-thirds of the annual average for the area.
Mudgee had 105.2mm, compared to an average of 70mm for the first month of the year, mainly off the back of three days of 27-plus millimetres of rain falling.
Nullo Mountain had double its average monthly total with 202.6mm, while Gulgong was close to spot-on its normal January figure with 74.1mm.
MUDGEE AIRPORT WEATHER STATION
- Record highest January mean temperature, 27.9°C (old: 26.2°C in 2017);
- Record highest January mean daily maximum temperature, 35.5°C (old: 33.9°C in 2018);
- Record highest January mean daily minimum temperature, 20.2°C (old: 18.7°C in 2017).
GULGONG POST OFFICE WEATHER STATION
- Record highest January temperature, 42.7°C on the 16th (old: 42.3°C on the 3rd in 2014);
- Record highest January mean temperature, 28.8°C (old: 27.1°C in 1981);
- Record highest January mean daily maximum temperature, 36.5°C (old: 34.9°C in 1981);
- Record highest January mean daily minimum temperature, 21.2°C (old: 19.6°C in 2017).
NULLO MOUNTAIN WEATHER STATION
- Record highest January daily minimum temperature, 24.5°C on the 16th (old 23.6°C on the 18th in 2003);
- Record highest January mean temperature, 23°C (old: 21.9°C in 2018);
- Record highest January mean daily maximum temperature, 28.4°C (old: 27.8°C in 2018);
- Record highest January mean daily minimum temperature, 17.6°C (old: 15.9°C in 2018).
