Early taste of summer

But sun lovers are advised to make the most of the unseasonally warm day because the mercury is expected to tumble back down to 18°C on Saturday, with possible rainfall of 1mm to 6mm forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology.

Sunday is forecast to reach 17°C, with the maximum temperature next climbing into the 20s on Wednesday, when 21°C is the forecast top.

August rainfall was well below the month’s average of 71.3mm, with only 29.2mm recorded in the Benalla Airport gauge.

August 24 was the hottest day of the month, when the mercury reached 20.8°C, while August 5 was the coldest, with a maximum temperature of only 11.3°C.