If you thought January 13 – the Friday of the Parkes Elvis Festival – was the hottest you’ve felt in a while, you would be correct.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
This particular day was in fact the hottest it’s been in Parkes in 20 years.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) – which began recording climate data at the Parkes Airport weather station in 1997 – clocked the temperature gauge at 44.1 degrees, 0.1 of a degree higher than the previous record on January 15, 2001.
It was also 1.4 degree hotter than January 2016’s hottest day, the same day – January 13.
It’s been a very hot January overall, with Parkes tallying 11 days of 38 or more degree days – five of those days were 40 degrees or higher.
In the last four days of January, residents endured temperatures between 38.5 degrees, on Saturday, and 41.4, on Monday.
On Tuesday it was 39.7 degrees.
The average temperature for the month, according to the BOM, was 36 degrees.
Last January, the average for the month was 32.7 degrees, with only seven days of 38 or more degree heat and three days of more than 40 degrees.
And it appears the mercury isn’t about to drop any time soon either, with the next six days predicted to be between 36 and 42 degrees.
It’s certainly a lot hotter than this time last year, with temperatures only reaching between 26.3 and 34.1 degrees in the first six days of February.
Parkes had a sizzling start to February with its first day on Wednesday hitting 39.7 – more than 13 degrees (26.3) hotter than 2016’s first February day.
However Thursday came as a relief to townspeople, athletes and outdoor workers, only reaching 28.3 at 2pm.
But it’s predicted Parkes will experience three consecutive days of 40 degree heat with Saturday’s temperature estimated to peak at 40, Sunday 41 and Monday 42.
Tuesday and Wednesday are forecast to reach 38 and 39 respectively.
The only comfort on the horizon is the 40-70 per cent chance of rain over these days.
Last year’s hottest February day came in at 40.9 degrees on February 25.
But the record stands at 44 degrees, recorded on both February 2, 2006 and February 21, 2004.
Peak Hill’s hottest January day this year was January 15 at 43.9 degrees.
It was higher than 2016’s hottest January day of 43.5 degrees on January 13 and just 0.6 of a degree below the town’s hottest January day on its 51-year record – January 12, 2013 at 44.5 degrees.
