It's a hot one but wait until Wednesday with temperatures in some towns on the Mid North Coast forecast to nudge 40 degrees.
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By Thursday afternoon (December 14) many towns had reached well into the 30s and forecasts show these conditions will extend into the weekend with the heat peaking next Wednesday.
At just after 2pm on Thursday the hottest temperatures were in Forster where it reached 34 degrees (exceeding the predicted top of 29) and in Taree which had also hit the 34 mark.
With prolonged stretches of hot weather people start to talk in terms of a ‘heat wave’ but according to weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke it won’t technically fit the bill.
The accepted definition of a heatwave is three consecutive days and nights where the temperatures stay at least five degrees above the average.
While our region will fall short of that definition, other areas – generally west of the ranges – will not be so lucky.
“Heatwave conditions are going to be more prominent over the inland areas,” Mr Dutschke said.
Mr Dutschke said the saving grace for our area will be the cooling seabreezes.
“The daytime temperatures look likely to be just above the five degree mark for an average of three or four days, but the nights are likely to be just cool enough to only be around two or three degrees above the average during that hot spell.
“The seabreezes are going to have a pretty significant affect each afternoon. That is going to help the evenings cool reasonably significantly.
“But away from those seabreezes, it will be hot.”
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The reason behind the rising temperature is due to heat building up over north western Australia coupled with a lack of rain.
“With winds turning more northerly, these hot conditions are gradually finding their way across to the east coast,’ the weather forecaster said.
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And a cooler change appears a long way off too.
“It will be late next week before we see any significant cooler change coming through,” Mr Dutschke added.
More information on heatwaves: