Two year-old jug (jack russell pug) Lexie was just one of many dogs enjoying a splash at Horseshoe Beach on Monday to celebrate the October long weekend.
Owner Sue Mackenzie lives in a Honeysuckle apartment, and says she uses the dog beach often to exercise her dogs and socialise.
"We love socialising with other doggies and people, there's so much to do in Newcastle," she said.
"The whole long weekend was just beautiful weather."
The weekend saw many locals and holiday-goers making the most of the warm weather at Newcastle beaches.
On Sunday Newcastle's Nobbys signal station recorded a maximum temperature of 33.3 degrees while further inland, 35.2 degrees was recorded a RAAF Base Williamtown.
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Peter Stapleton said it was the warmest October 1 on record.
"Obviously there's been warmer October days but they have occurred far later in the month, this one was 11 degrees above average," he said.
Monday was slightly milder but still saw temperatures rise to 27 degrees on the coast and well into the 30s in Scone and Singleton.
Tuesdays temperatures are expected to climb again with a top of 34 degrees in Newcastle and inland locations like Maitland, Scone and Singleton to reach 35 or 36 degrees.
The heatwave has been brought about by a high pressure system directing a west northwest flow from the interior of the state.
"What tends to happen and why you get the hotter days right on the coast, like Newcastle is when that west northwest wind is strong enough, not only does it bring the heat from the inland part of the state, but it also keeps the sea breeze out," Mr Stapleton said.
The heat is expected to decline by Thursday and Friday with a cool change coming through bringing between five and 15 mm of showers and temperatures sitting in the low to mid 20s and a high wind warning forecast.
As the long weekend came to a close, holiday-goers were expected to make their way home, and for many it was a slow trip.
The October long weekend brought warm weather and plenty of visitors across the east and Mid North Coast, from Newcastle beaches to the blue paradise of Port Stephens and Forster
As they began the journey home, high volumes of holiday traffic was banking up from Beresfield to Hexham and Heatherbrae on the New England and Pacific highways.
Live Traffic NSW was reporting traffic affected in both directions through Beresfield, Tarro, Hexham, Heatherbrae and beyond, during peak travel periods from Monday afternoon and into the evening.
