IT is still technically winter for another day, but the Hunter seemed to get its first taste of summer over the weekend with warm conditions encouraging people out of their homes and down to the beach, out on the water or into nature.
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Newcastle and Lake Macquarie enjoyed temperatures in the mid-20s on Sunday and low-20s on Saturday, with light northwesterly winds creating the perfect conditions along the coast.
The temperatures are expected to cool over the next couple of days, while still remaining sunny before Thursday sees a top of 28 degrees in Newcastle and 27 degrees up in the Hunter Valley, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
It is not expected to rain again until at least Saturday when it could be wet for a couple of days.
The warmer conditions meant more people on the sand and in the water at the region's beaches, with the Bar Beach to Merewether stretch a popular spot.
As well as surfing, swimming and boating, the dry weather over the past two weeks has been ideal for keen mountain bikers, a sport that exploded in popularity in the Hunter during the COVID-19 lock-down, with car parks at mountain bike parks at Glenrock, Holmesville, Awaba and Dungog packed over the weekend.
The sport has become so popular that the region's bike shops have been inundated with sales and repairs and funding to improve mountain bike trails has led to a huge boost in tourism for areas like Dungog.
The Fernleigh track was busy again on Sunday with walkers, dogs, strollers, cyclists and joggers sharing the trail.
