Tamworth weather: Temperatures of 36 degrees to create bush fire threat

The mercury is set to hit a high of 36 degrees in Tamworth for the public holiday.

It's very unusual weather for October with temperatures eight to 12 degrees above average, Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Jake Phillips said.

"It is pretty close to record territory and as we move into Monday it is quite likely we will see some places getting pretty close to or maybe even breaking October records," he said.

"The most likely areas are in the Northern Tablelands and North West Slopes regions for any records.

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"That's something we'll be watching quite closely over the next 24 hours."

The high temperatures coupled with gusty winds and low relative humidity create the perfect storm for fire danger. Fortunately cooler winds will start to spread into the northern areas of the state from Tuesday, with conditions considerably more comfortable from Wednesday onward.

A Total Fire Ban is likely to be issued Monday for parts of the state.

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