Much-needed rain has fallen across the Gunnedah shire, bringing cracking thunder and damaging lightning strikes.
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The wild weather moved in around 4.30pm on Tuesday, while storms also lashed the region late on Australia Day.
In total, Premer topped the shire with 46mm, Mullaley 38mm, Tambar Springs 35mm, Carroll 21mm and Gunnedah received 12mm.
It was a welcome relief after a scorching few days over the long weekend, where temperatures reached the high 30s.
Saturday saw a top of 35 degrees Celsius, Sunday hit a sizzling 38 while Monday was almost as hot with 37.
A change came through late Monday, bringing a wild storm that cooled things down after a day of scorching Australia Day activities under a baking sun.
“There were south-easterly air streams along the NSW coast and that extended inland,” the Bureau of Meteorology said.
Temperatures are much cooler this week with today topping 25, tomorrow 27 and 29 forecast for Saturday.
Things will then begin to heat up with forecasters predicting 31 on Sunday and Monday.
The recent hot temperatures come after new climate projections by the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology show Australia is already experiencing global warming and the impacts will get worse without serious action to cut pollution.
These projections show Australia will suffer more extreme heat and drought, having massive implications for agriculture, tourism, water supply and livability.
“In fact, some parts of Australia could become uninhabitable,” Victoria McKenzie-McHarg, Climate Change Program Manager for ACF.
“The number of hot days in the country is set to increase substantially.
“The news that 2014 was the hottest year on record globally, the last decade was the hottest on record for Australia and projections showing the increasing number of days we are exposed to extreme heat all point to the need for urgent action.”