Calm before the storm: Hunter Region weather for the first week of 2025

Senior forecaster Jake Phillips said Monday, December 30, would be fairly benign across the region with the potential for only a light morning shower.

But storms may roll in from New Year's Eve, he said.

"We are going through a brief settled period but things will flare up again from Tuesday," he said.

BOM's Tuesday forecast predicts a maximum of 32 degrees with thunderstorms in Scone while Newcastle shows a high of 29 degrees with a slight chance of showers.

Mr Phillips said while stormy skies were more likely in the Upper Hunter, storms along the coast were not out of the question.

"It is just something to bear in mind for people going out on New Year's Eve," he said.

Late Wednesday into early Thursday, another weather system will move through, potentially triggering storms right through the region.

Particularly in the Upper Hunter, there was a chance of severe thunderstorms with heavy rain, large hail and damaging wind gusts, Mr Phillips said.

He said there was an early indication that heat could build up across the state significantly again next weekend.

"On Sunday we could see temperatures well into the 30s and touching 40 degrees in the inland regions," he said.

Strong winds downed trees across the Hunter on Friday evening as forecasters warned of a possible southerly change, but the region was largely spared any serious damage according to State Emergency Service responders on the ground.

Crews responded to around six reports of down trees and branches in Maitland, as well as a handful of others around Cessnock and along the Hunter coastline, but a spokesperson said on Saturday that while responders were active most of the night, the damage was thankfully minimal.

In one notable incident, though, SES crews rescued a cow from flood waters at Eagleton, which escaped the mire uninjured.

A spokesperson for the SES in the Hunter said the forecast boded similar themes into the week ahead, with hot and humid conditions meeting possible afternoon storms potentially culminating in a stormy New Year's Eve, and urged residents to be prepared.

It was the season of new trampolines, and outdoor entertaining, they said, and encouraged residents to secure loose items in their yards, clean out gutters to prevent overflowing and to avoid floodwaters.

Further afield, firefighters with the Rural Fire Service were keeping tabs on around 11 fires burning in the Hunter Valley over the weekend after a blaze broke out near Caves Beach and burned into the night on Boxing Day.

"A lightning event yesterday across Singleton, Muswellbrook, and Cessnock LGAs ignited 12 fires across the region, including the Howes Valley, Giants Creek, Martindale, and Broke areas," an RFS spokesperson told the Newcastle Herald on Saturday.

"Crews are actively working on the fires, conducting direct attacks supported by air operations."

Still, they noted that all fires in the region were burning at "Advice" level, indicating there was no immediate threat to the public or property.

"Most fires are in steep and inaccessible terrain, burning across a mix of private properties and national parks," the spokesperson said.

On Sunday, RFS crews were still working on putting out fires in Howes Valley, Paynes Crossing and Broke.

"These fires are largely burning in remote areas under quite light winds, and there's no threat to properties," a RFS spokesperson said.

The region was facing a high fire danger over the weekend, expected to ease on Monday and into the week ahead.

Mostly sunny conditions were expected on Sunday with a slight chance of a shower near the coast, returning to partly cloudy conditions on Monday and Tuesday.