Extreme temperatures in November, which broke local records and nearly broke national records, contributed to the result.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Dr Blair Trewin said the Central West of NSW had experienced some of the largest differences from average temperatures in the country.

Orange’s maximum temperatures for November were 7.6 degrees above average for the month.

“The most extreme month by far was November, where temperatures were a very long way above average and way above previous records. That actually fell only just short of the largest monthly difference recorded anywhere in Australia,” Dr Trewin said.

Over the year, maximum temperatures in Orange were 1.3 degrees above average.

The year ended Australia’s hottest decade on record.

While 2009 was the warmest year for Orange in terms of minimum and maximum temperatures combined, the city experienced its warmest maximums in 2006 and its warmest minimums in 2007.

The results are based on 40 years of data from Orange Airport.

Rainfall was 25 per cent below average in Orange, making 2009 the sixth driest year in 40 years.

Australia as a whole had its second warmest year on record.

In its Annual Australian Climate Statement, the Bureau of Meteorology said “there are clear upward trends in the number of hot events and downward trends in the number of cold events (over the period 1960 to date), consistent with the background of global warming”.

Orange Climate Action Now chair Nick King said the statistics were not surprising in light of the science of climate change.

“I think it is an indication of climate change. I’m not quite sure how other people will see it, though,” he said.

Despite the failure of global leaders to decide on a climate change solution at the recent Copenhagen summit, Mr King said he did not feel hopeless about the future of the planet.

“No, never. I’m quite optimistic. We mustn’t always be negative about this. It has created tremendous opportunities in the marketplace. It’s not all doom and gloom,” he said.