Tamworth to expect warmer and drier than average Autumn after hottest summer on record

The revised Autumn Outlook painted a dire picture for inland NSW, with "hotter than average and drier than average" months ahead, and very little signs of widespread rain events.

It also comes on the back of Australia's hottest summer on record, and for Tamworth, the second driest year since records began.

The Bureau's manager of long-range forecasting, Dr Andrew Watkins acknowledged the outlook is not the news many would be wanting to hear.

"Unfortunately, the outlook isn't giving a strong indication that we'll see a return to average, or above average rainfall in many areas over the autumn period," he said.

"It's important to remember that despite what the outlook is suggesting, individual heavy rainfall events are always possible."

The apparent reason for the stark outlook is that both climate drivers, the Indian Ocean Dipole and the El Nino southern oscillation are in neutral phases resulting in no strong influences from either.

Local weather expert David Farrenden said that "we are in uncharted territory so it is just a matter of waiting and seeing what happens.

"El Nino does look like it will come in this month or next, and that usually means a dry trend that can last six months," he said.

"We can still get the local stuff though - storms are still our best chance of getting rain, we just need to be in the right spot." 

Meanwhile the Tamworth RFS are already considering extending the Bushfire Danger Period until the end of April given the hot and dry conditions.

Superintendent Allyn Purkiss said that this season has been particularly difficult for the service, as the very low levels of soil moisture are causing fires to behave differently.

"We are in talks with our colleagues, the senior management team and our neighbours to extend the danger period," he said.

"It normally finishes at the end of March, but we may even push it past April this year."