Temperatures struggled to surpass 20 degrees, but that didn't stop many hitting Illawarra beaches for a pre-summer dip on Friday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Whether you were in the ocean or not, conditions were almost identical – water temps were about 20 degrees, while a top of 20.5 degrees was recorded at Bellambi Point. The air temperature was about 15 degrees cooler than Thursday, a day that began with Bellambi Point breaking a record for its hottest November night.
The mercury dipped to just 21.8 degrees at the coastal weather station prior to 9am Thursday. The previous record was 21.1 degrees on November 21, 2009.
The hot night came almost a week after Wollongong recorded its hottest November day in 17 years of records (39.8 degrees, November 20).
The heat is just a taste of what’s to come, with December tipped to be warmer than average. Looking further ahead, the Bureau of Meteorology says it’s “likely” Wollongong’s December to February median maximum (26.1 degrees) and minimum (17.8 degrees) temperatures will be exceeded.
