Damaging storms forecast for Sydney

A spring heatwave across NSW has broken but thunderstorms and heavy rainfalls in its wake spell bad news for NRL Grand Final parties planned for Sunday. Severe thunderstorm warnings have been issued for areas of northern NSW which have already been battered by heavy storms and wind gusts of over 100km/h.

So far the heaviest rains have fallen in the Snowy Mountains region, where Charlotte Pass received 48mm and Perisher Valley 42mm in the 24 hours until 9am (AEST) on Saturday.

"Yesterday storms across southern and central NSW were triggered by a trough of low pressure. This trough is being fed by moist northerly winds and above average temperatures," weatherzone.com.au meteorologist Matt Pearce said.

But the north of the state from Bourke down to the Hunter Valley is on course for
heavy storms on Sunday with potentially damaging winds.
"We are likely to see more storms across the northern half of New South Wales on
Sunday, possibly severe once again," Mr Pearce said.
"A cooler change coming through on Monday will then dry out the atmosphere, meaning
storms will be unlikely through the rest of the week."