THROUGHOUT most of July we could have been forgiven for thinking we were giving winter a miss this year.
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But the chilly temperatures have arrived with a vengeance for August, with both Nowra and Jervis Bay experiencing their coldest days for the year so far on Monday.
At Nowra the temperature reached just 13 degrees in the warmest part of the day.
In the early hours of Tuesday morning the thermometer dipped to 3 degrees, and struggled to get over the 13 degree mark again throughout the day.
Jervis Bay also recorded its coldest day for the year on Monday, reaching a maximum of just 12 degrees.
But the real nip has been felt at night. Since the start of August we have had a run of cold nights, with almost every overnight temperature being below average for this time of year.
And in many cases the night temperatures have been well below where they normally sit.
Overnight on Sunday, August 3 the mercury sank to 1.8 degrees, almost 5 degrees below average with the rare sight of frost appearing in various parts of the Shoalhaven.
Spare a thought for our neighbours over the hill: overnight on Monday Moss Vale recorded minus 4 degrees; seven below average for this time of year.
Weatherzone senior meteorologist Brett Dutschke said dangerous surf conditions would prevail throughout Wednesday.
“Southerly winds travelling over thousands of kilometres of the Southern Ocean are hooked up to a low pressure system from New Zealand, which is driving that dangerous surf,” he said.
Temperatures will probably stay in the low teens for the rest of the week, with Mr Dutschke saying rain was forecast for Sunday.