If you're thinking winter decided to show up earlier than expected, you're not alone.
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According to Weatherzone data, May was colder than average for both Kempsey and Port Macquarie.
There's no weather station located in Laurieton.
Weather records have been taken for about 140 years, however locations of weather stations in Port Macquarie and Kempsey have changed in that time.
The average minimum temperature in Port Macquarie for May was 8.3 degrees, which was 2.1 degrees below the long term average of 10.4.
If you struggled to get out of bed in the morning on Wednesday, May 29 it's because the temperature was just three degrees at 6am.
"That's pretty impressive for a coastal location," Mr Levesque said.
Mr Levesque said the ocean water generally warms the outside temperature, as it doesn't tend to fluctuate from being around 18-20 degrees.
However, he said sometimes winds pushed from inland areas can drive the temperature downwards.
Port Macquarie hasn't received a significant amount of rainfall through the month of May, with just 11.6mm falling over a period of seven days.
Weatherzone data shows the long term average for Port Macquarie's rainfall in May is 103mm.
The average minimum temperature for Kempsey through the month of May has been six degrees, 2.7 degrees below the long term average.
Kempsey residents shivered through their coldest morning on Thursday, May 25 at about 6.30am, when the temperature hit just 0.6 degrees.
The lowest May temperature on record for Kempsey was -4.1 degrees in 2019, eight degrees lower than the long term average.
From 2017 to 2019 the region experienced the worst drought on record.
The year of 2019 was also influenced by climate driver El Nino, which typically suppresses rainfall in eastern Australia during the winter and spring months.
Weatherzone meteorologist Felix Levesque said the climate driver of El Nino typically brings clear skies, cold temperatures overnight but warm day temperatures.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology is predicting a long-range forecast for drier and warmer conditions across much of Australia for winter.
Mr Levesque said it's notable that Kempsey only received five millimetres of rainfall across seven days in May, which was well below the 62mm long term average for May.
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