Orange sweltered through its hottest December day since the Orange airport weather station opened 23 years ago with the mercury reaching 39 degrees on Saturday.
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According to Weatherzone the December record high until this year was 34.7 degrees in 2009.
That mark had already been passed three times this month with Saturday also being the hottest day of the year in Orange.
It was also 14 degrees above average.
Orange was covered in bushfire smoke on Sunday and the forecast is for it to remain until Christmas Day on Wednesday.
Christmas Day is forecast to be hazy with a top temperature of 30 degrees.
Rain is barely on the agenda with only a 30 per cent chance of less than one millimetre on Christmas Day.
It is forecast to reach a hazy 32 degrees on Monday and 33 degrees on Tuesday.
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