BREAK out the banana lounges, the Illawarra looks set for an early taste of spring this weekend.
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Temperatures are expected to rise at the weekend to near record temperatures for the region in July.
Weatherzone is predicting temperatures in Wollongong and Shellharbour to reach around 22 and 24 degrees in Wollongong on Saturday and Sunday respectively.
In Sydney, Sunday's forecast top of 25 degrees would match a typical summer's day, and could challenge the July record maximum of 25.9 degrees set in 1990 for the capital city.
The record maximum for Wollongong in July was 25.7 recorded in 1975.
A range of other sites in the state, such as Bourke in the far north-west, may also nudge monthly records, said Tom Hough, a meteorologist with Weatherzone. Bourke's forecast top of 28 degrees is not far off its July record of 28.9 degrees.
July looks like being another relatively dry month. June was the second-driest nationally on record.
_ with SMH