Residents and visitors of the Hunter Valley have been peeling the layers of clothing today as they cope with a temperature rise of up to 30 degrees. Much of the Hunter started off rather chilly this morning as cold as three degrees in the Upper Hunter, cold enough for a fleece vest and jacket. Some of the overnight and early morning temperatures were six degrees below average. This afternoon much of the region warmed up to the low-to-mid 30s, hot enough to peel back to a t-shirt or singlet. Newcastle reached 34 degrees, 10 above average. Just about the whole of the Hunter Valley has warmed up at least 25 degrees since sunrise. The most extreme temperature change has been recorded in Cessnock, where the temperature rose 30 degrees, from 4.6 this morning to 34.3 this afternoon. Diurnal temperature changes of this nature are not uncommon for this time of year. In spring we often get dry air and clear skies turning chilly mornings into very warm days. Dry and gusty northwesterly winds have drawn heat from central Australia, increasing the fire danger to a very high rating, even severe in a few places. A cooler change is not due to arrive until overnight, making it difficult for some to get to sleep. Once the change arrives it will have an immediate impact. Tomorrow will be as much as 10 degrees cooler than today. Unfortunately for those after a bit of rain, it looks like being a dry change.