More thunderstorms expected in the territory this week before a drenching of up 100 millimetres of rain.

Lunchtime barbecues and beach plans on Christmas Day are looking good to go ahead, with sunshine and warm temperatures expected to hold out until the late afternoon. 

After a year of driving global temperatures to unprecedented warmth, the giant El Nino weather event in the Pacific is officially over, raising hopes that drought-hit regions may be in for some relief in Australia and elsewhere.

Sydneysiders are again being hammered by thunderstorms as the latest storm cells bring rain and strong wind gusts to the city.

Storms hit the Sydney region, bringing hail and damaging winds.

If you woke to the sound of thunder early this morning be prepared for it to continue throughout the day.

Forecasters predict heavy rain, strong winds and increasing swells.

Sydney is in for another wet and windy day on Friday as the clean-up continues after destructive storms tore through the city, felling large trees and powerlines, crushing cars and cutting power to thousands of homes on Thursday afternoon.

A "strangely warm southerly" is sweeping across Sydney today with little relief from the heat at beaches in NSW and Queensland because of Cyclone Winston causing large, dangerous and powerful surf.

Parts of Canberra have received more than the city's June average rainfall in less than two days with more rain on the way.

A car reportedly crashed into a fallen tree on Streeton Drive. 

What weather will Santa deliver for Christmas Day?

Hundreds of homes have been evacuated in southern California as heavy rains and wind lash the drought-stricken area.

Canberrans will face one of the worst fire danger days of the bushfire season on Tuesday as the temperature soars past 30 degrees amid dry, windy conditions.

"Mate, I lost about 100 heartbeats I reckon in that split second, and got a few more grey hairs."