The city had an average ­maximum temperature of 26.6 degrees last month, a substantial two degrees hotter than the ­previous hottest September in 2009.

Many places across eastern Australia reached record ­temperatures last month, with Maitland’s hot month coming on the back of the city’s warmest winter on record.

Anthony Cornelius from Weather Watch said the increase in temperature had been out of the ordinary.

“To be two above the old mark is certainly a lot,” he said.

“Usually when the hottest and coldest months are reached it is by 0.1 of a degree, so to be an entire two degrees is quite ­substantial.

“It has been much, much ­hotter than usual and I doubt we’ll see something like that again for a while.”

Rainfall across Maitland was also down which Mr Cornelius attributed to an increase in dry air.

“Maitland had 17mm last month and the average across the state was 53mm,” he said.

“A lot of westerly winds ­certainly kept the dry air over the Hunter, which resulted in less rain.”

Maitland experienced gusts of wind from 80 to 90km/h ­yesterday as temperatures cooled, but Mr Cornelius said the relief would only be temporary.

“October and November we’re expecting to stay above average temperatures with rainfall beginning to increase in late October,” he said. “We’ll get increased moisture from central Queensland, which should see more showers.”