Temperatures are expected to peak on Friday as the mercury is set to climb into the thirties across the region tomorrow.
Novocastrians sought out the water of Merewether Baths on Wednesday, where one Eastern Water Dragon was spotted instead soaking up the sun, as temperatures rose to the high twenties in parts of the city and Lake Macquarie.
Areas further west like Maitland, Cessnock, Singleton, Scone, and Merriwa saw maximums in the low-thirties.
Singleton is looking to feel the most heat going into the weekend with maximums expected to reach 37 degrees on Friday and moving to 35 degrees on Saturday, when minimums will also rise to 23 degrees.
Senior Forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology Mohammed Nabi said both maximum and minimum temperatures will continue to rise across the region through to Friday and Saturday when hot winds from the centre of the continent ramp up the mercury to its peak.
"Basically over the next few days there is a large high pressure system moving over the state, which is giving us clear skies during the day and allowing quite a bit of heat to build up," Mr Nabi said.
"There will be a marked drop in temperature as the southwesterly winds behind the front bring conditions into the low twenties for Sunday."
Forecaster Mohammed Nabi
"Late Friday hot winds ahead of a front will move into Newcastle. As the front goes through on Saturday the wind will pick up to around 30 to 45 kilometres per hour. In the late afternoon and evening there will be a marked drop in temperature as the southwesterly winds behind the front bring conditions into the low twenties for Sunday."
Newcastle is expected to hit 30 on Thursday, moving to 33 on Friday and 32 Saturday. Lake Macquarie is expected to follow that trend with have maximums up to one degree higher. Further west Maitland, Wallsend, Cessnock, Scone and Merriwa should peak at 35 to 36 degrees on Friday.
Minimums in all these areas will reach around twenty degrees on Saturday morning.
While Friday is looking to bring the warmest temperatures, Inspector Ben Shepherd of the NSW Rural Fire said Saturday looked like the "peak" of fire danger due to the continuation of hot weather and increased wind speeds as the front moves through the region.
I would encourage residents to check fire danger ratings each day this week
Inspector Ben Shepherd
"We are monitoring the weather very closes and there is a likelihood that high to severe fire danger ratings will be seen in the Hunter over the next days and there is likely to be associated fire bans," he said.
"I would encourage residents to check fire danger ratings each day this week of the area they live in and where they are travelling to. They can also download the 'Fires Near Me' app on their phone and select the area around their home to be alerted if a fire is detected."
Mr Nabi said rain is not on the horizon in the coming week. After temperatures drop on Sunday they will be back into the high twenties "if not low thirties" by mid-next week.
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