Sydney weather: Storm warning as NSW swelters through first day of summer

Thousands of homes were left without power after a “line of storms” hit the east coast on Tuesday night.

Thousands of homes across Sydney and the Central Coast were left without power after a wave of severe thunderstorms swept across the metro area on Tuesday night.

Homes in the Inner West, North Shore, Sutherland Shire and Central Coast went dark on Tuesday as two large storm cells hit the city and surrounds during the late evening and afternoon, according to Ausgrid.

More than 1200 residents in Beecroft and Cheltenham in Sydney’s upper North Shore were without power until late on Tuesday night following an outage which hit about 6:30pm, while 1800 properties in Engadine and Menai were also plunged into darkness.

On the Central Coast, thousands of homes in Chain Valley Bay, Kanwal Doyalson North, Tumbi Umbi, Berkeley Vale and Killarney Vale were without power until early on Wednesday morning.

Three thousand homes in Long Jetty, The Entrance, Shelly Beach, Toowoon Bay and Blue Bay were also affected, while 800 residents in Wollombi, Bucketty and surrounds in the Hunter Valley also lost power.

Clouds over Marrickville as a storm moves into Sydney on Tuesday. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Clouds over Marrickville as a storm moves into Sydney on Tuesday. Picture: Jonathan Ng

The Inner West suburbs of Camperdown, Darlington and Enmore were without electricity for two hours on Friday night when storm activity saw the area lose connectivity, according to Ausgrid, but power was restored shortly after 8:30pm.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the Metropolitan, Hunter, Illawarra, Central Tablelands and Central Slopes and Plains on Tuesday evening as the bad weather is swept in from the west.

It follows another warm day for Sydney, which saw tops of 38 in the west and 29 in the CBD.

Clouds over Marrickville as a storm moves into Sydney on Tuesday. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Mr Notara said the heat was being chased off by a southerly change and accompanying storms, but said the wet weather wouldn’t bring any “significant rainfall”.

“Temperatures have dropped significantly from the mid to high thirties to the low twenties during the change,” he said.

“We’ve got quite a moist atmosphere bringing the ingredients to create severe thunderstorms and the main period being the afternoon and evening as dangerous for storms.”

Sydney swelters on first day of summer

Sydney welcomed the first day of summer with sweltering temperatures in the west.

Penrith and Richmondboth reached 38C on Tuesday, slightly lower than the forecast top of 41C.

Horsley Park and Camden hit the mid 30s but Sydney’s CBD and the coast reached a mild high of 28C.

The first sunrise of summer. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan Coker

The hot weather will come as no shock for NSW as the tailend of spring gave residents a sneak peek at what is to be expected this summer, with Sydney recording its hottest November night since 1967 on Saturday night.

Bondi Beach on Saturday. Picture: Matrix

But the regions endured a searing first day of summer with Bourke the hottest town in the state with 47.6C, while Walgett in the northwest hit 46.6C.

Dozens of towns hit highs in the 40s.

The Bureau of Metereology has revealed this summer is expected to be wetter than normal, but bush and grass fires remain a serious threat with a total fire ban in place at Far North Coast, North Coast, Greater Hunter, Greater Sydney Region and North Western, with Very High fire danger forecast for Illawarra/Shoalhaven, Central Ranges, New England and Northern Slopes.