With a top of 44 degrees Celsius, it was Cessnock’s hottest November day in 36 years of records, beating the previous high of 43 degrees, set on November 30, 2004.

The city sweltered over the weekend as the mercury peaked at 36.5 on Saturday and 41.1 on Sunday.

Temperatures were back down to the mid-twenties on Monday and Tuesday, but are expected to be back up into the thirties today and remain that way for the rest of the week.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology dating back to 1973, the average maximum temperature for November is 27.3 degrees. Fourteen days this month have been above that temperature.

The previous hottest day this year was Black Saturday, February 7 with 41 degrees. It was the middle of three 40-plus days in a row for Cessnock and one of five recorded last summer.

The bureau’s records state that Cessnock’s hottest day on record is February 2, 2006, a scorching 44.9 degrees.

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A bushfire threatened remote properties near Laguna late on Sunday but was contained by the afternoon.

Outbreaks were also reported at Bucketty, Olney State Forest, Buchanan and Congewai.