Sydney swelters before ‘severe’ southerly buster sweeps in: As it happened

It was a day of extremes in Sydney as the city recorded its hottest day of the year so far, before a southerly buster and thunderstorms slashed temperatures and drenched beachgoers.

As we wrap up our live coverage of Sydney’s weather for the night, here’s what you need to know:

• Sydney sweated through its hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures peaking at over 43 degrees in some parts of the city.
• A “severe” southerly buster, which brought with it wind gusts of up to 83km/h, cut temperatures almost in half, while the mercury in south-west Sydney dropped 10 degrees in less than 20 minutes as the cool change hit.
• The NSW SES received about 300 callouts in the hours after the afternoon deluge, including 280 reports of falling trees or branches. NSW Ambulance said no serious injuries were reported.
• Storms could continue on Tuesday night, with heavy rainfall and large hail possible in the west, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
• The wet weather is expected to stick around into the weekend, with up to 10 millimetres forecast for Wednesday, before easing on Thursday and Friday, which have forecast of possible maximums of six millimetres and three millimetres, respectively.

Thanks for joining our live coverage of Sydney’s wild weather today.

Southerly buster expert Dr Milton Speer from the University of Technology Sydney said the maximum gust at Sydney Airport just hit 80km/h, while an 83km/h wind swept across the harbour.

Those wind speeds mean this one’s a “severe” southerly buster.

The frequency of weaker southerly busters (blue) has increased significantly in recent years compared to severe busters.Credit: Leslie et al, Climate

Speer said southerly busters are known to accelerate around Nowra and Ulladulla as they hurtle towards Sydney, possibly because the topography of that part of the coast narrows the dome of air rushing up from the south.

It could also be that at the time a buster reaches Nowra, the heat of the day has peaked. The temperature of the gradient between the cool southerly winds and the hot air ahead of them is what partly fans a buster’s speed.

Speer co-authored research last year that found weaker busters – which produce winds below 74 km/h – are becoming for more frequent as opposed to the boisterous, gale-force busters that dominated the coast until the mid-90s, possibly due to climate change warping the dynamics of the atmosphere and more stubborn heat sitting over southern Australia.

In parts of Sydney, the mercury soared north of 42 degrees, marking the city’s hottest day of the year so far.

But despite the scorching heat still climbing into the middle of the afternoon, when the reprieve came, it came quick.

Temperatures reached over 40 degrees in parts of Sydney before a cool change swept through the city.Credit: Wolter Peeters

Temperatures almost halved in about two hours as severe thunderstorms and the famous southerly buster arrived.

At Badgerys Creek, where Sydney’s hottest temperature was recorded on Tuesday, the temperature dropped from a high of 43.3 degrees at 3.38pm to 22.8 degrees by 5.40pm. While at Bankstown, a drop of 21.1 degrees, from 42.3 degrees to 21.2 degrees, came in less than two and a half hours.

At Richmond, the temperature dropped from 42.5 degrees to 26.2 degrees in less than an hour and a half.

Severe thunderstorm warnings remain in place across Sydney, with the NSW SES responding to more than 150 callouts related to fallen trees and powerline and electrical issues.

The NSW SES has received more than 150 callouts since severe thunderstorms hit Sydney on Tuesday afternoon.

By just after 5pm, the service had received 174 callouts, including 129 for fallen trees and about 20 related to powerlines and electrical issues.

The calls have come from across Sydney, with Parramatta, Blacktown and Campbelltown among the worst affected.

The SES on Tuesday afternoon issued a warning for people in Greater Sydney, Penrith, Parramatta, Gosford and Woy Woy to monitor conditions for forecast heavy rainfall, damaging winds and large hailstones.

Beachgoers flocking to the world-famous Bondi Beach to enjoy the sunshine ran for cover as the first of the heavy rainfall expected to soak Sydney tonight reached the city.

With towels slung over their heads, many frantically collected their belongings and made a quick exit.

Temperatures in parts of Sydney soared to over 42 degrees before a cool change swept through.Credit: Wolter Peeters

People at Bondi Beach take cover as the rain sets in.Credit: Wolter Peeters

Rain has swept across Sydney as temperatures plummet after the city sweated through the hottest day of 2025 so far.

The first of the heavy rainfall seems to have passed through, but severe thunderstorm warnings remain in place after the initial deluge, with the Bureau of Meteorology advising that parts of Sydney may experience flash flooding.

The Herald’s chief photographer Nick Moir captured a time-lapse showing the moment the storms hit Sydney.

The images, taken from Ingleside on the northern beaches, show Sydney’s skyscrapers disappearing behind heavy rainfall as storm clouds roll by.

From eastern suburbs beaches, to swimming holes in the Blue Mountains, many have spent the day escaping the day’s heat in Sydney’s waterways, before late afternoon saw the storms roll in.

Here are some highlights from Herald photographers:

A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for parts of Sydney as rain begins to fall across the city.

The Bureau of Meteorology said damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding were forecast.

Large hailstones and heavy rainfall are expected to hit parts of Sydney.Credit: Bureau of Meteorology

Sydney city, Penrith, Parramatta and Campbelltown were expected to be affected.

The thunderstorm was expected to hit waters off Bondi Beach by 4.20pm and waters off Manly Beach half an hour later, the BOM said.

The thunderstorms, moving east to northeast, were expected to affect the Sydney Harbour Bridge at about 5pm.

The storms have brought with them a cool change, with the temperature at Sydney Airport dropping from a high of 42.5 degrees at 1.34pm to 24 degrees by 3.50pm.

People are advised to move their cars under cover or away from trees, secure or put away loose items around their backyards and balconies, keep clear of creeks and storm drains, keep least eight metres from fallen powerlines and stay indoors and away from windows.

Temperatures in parts of south-west Sydney have dropped 10 degrees in less than 20 minutes as a cool change hits the city, bringing with it the day’s first rainfall.

At Holsworthy, the temperature dropped from a high of 41.6 degrees to 31.4 degrees in just 16 minutes. By 3.30pm, the temperature had dropped to 29.7 degrees.

Temperatures in other parts of Sydney’s south-west, including Campbelltown and Canterbury, dropped almost 10 degrees in about half an hour after recording highs of over 40 degrees.

Some rain began to fall in Sydney’s CBD just after 3.30pm.

The forecast cool change expected to bring widespread relief to sweaty Sydneysiders has hit south of the city, with temperatures dropping almost 20 degrees in two and a half hours.

The temperature in Nowra, which reached a high of 39 degrees at 12.20pm, had dropped to 22.6 degrees by 3pm, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

In Kiama, the 3pm temperature of 23.1 degrees was 16.5 degrees cooler than the recorded high of 39.6 degrees recorded at 12.22pm as wind gusts reached up to 85km/h just before 2.30pm.

At Bellambi, north of Wollongong, the temperature dropped from 36.9 degrees at 11.20am to 23.4 degrees by just after 3pm, with gusts of up to 76km/h recorded.