‘Nasty’: Golf ball-size hail warning for Lismore area of NSW

Parts of the country will be battered by massive hailstones on Wednesday before a “big day” of “nasty” weather on Thursday.

“Nasty” storms are set to intensify on Wednesday and Thursday over eastern parts of Australia.

Severe thunderstorms will batter regions in NSW’s northeast and Queensland’s southeast on Wednesday, with meteorologists warning Aussies to brace for large hail and damaging winds.

Areas around Lismore in NSW could be bombarded by massive hailstones on Wednesday that the Bureau of Meteorology warned could be larger than 2cm in diameter.

Golf ball-size hail could hit parts of NSW on Wednesday afternoon. Picture: Windy.com

Damaging winds about the eastern slopes of the northern ranges and adjacent coast could also exceed 90km/h.

Weather warnings will remain in place for the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast on Wednesday and Thursday as well as for the Capricornia Coast, Hervey Bay and Fraser Island Coast on Thursday.

A severe heatwave warning established on Tuesday across southern Queensland will remain in place until Friday, while strong wind warnings will be active along the coast until Thursday.

The enduring heat has been brutal for parts of the state, with the mercury climbing to a sweltering 43C.

Thursday will be the ‘big day’ for storms in the country’s east. Picture: Sky Weather

Sky News Australia meteorologist Rob Sharpe said while storms would begin to “pick up again” on Wednesday, Thursday was shaping up to be the “big day” weatherwise.

“Wet weather will intensify across the eastern states of NSW and Queensland,” Mr Sharpe said.

“I’m anticipating some nasty storms.

“It will continue to bring some showers for the coast and adjacent inland areas (on Friday).”

A southerly change will then cause temperatures to drop significantly in both states.

Maximum temperatures in the Gold Coast will reach 30C on Wednesday and Thursday while thunderstorms persist until Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Scott Powick

Moving away from Australian shores, Fijians have woken this morning to a massive clean-up after Tropical Cyclone Mal tore across the island.

Despite developing into a category 3 event, the cyclone had begun to show signs of weakening, weather authorities said.

“It’s fair to say – based on the maps, at least — that Fiji has dodged a bullet for the most part,” New Zealand’s WeatherWatch said.

The cyclone swiped Fiji’s southwestern corner on Wednesday after heavy rains on Tuesday night brought down trees and powerlines.

Fiji managed to avoid the worst of the category 3 Tropical Cyclone Mal. Picture: Fiji Meteorological Service

Looking at the seven days ahead, Sydney will continue to experience showers until Friday before the rain resumes on Tuesday.

Thunderstorms will persist in Brisbane until Friday, with maximum temperatures reaching 30-33C. Milder weather features over the weekend before the rain potentially returns on Tuesday.

Darwin could also experience thunderstorms on Wednesday and Friday before skies clear on Saturday.

Melbourne will remain relatively dry and cool, with maximum temperatures across the next week reaching 23C and some possible showers on Thursday.

Perth and Adelaide will both enjoy clear skies and warm weather over the week ahead, while Hobart could experience intermittent showers until Monday.