Unseasonal rains across central Australia are helping to fill Lake Eyre and are providing some unusual recreational activities for residents of Alice Springs.

A windswept Canberra is in for a milder and calmer end to the week with above-average temperatures forecast for the weekend.

Thunderstorms may have drenched Sydney and other parts of the state but many parched regions of the state largely missed out.

Robert Frost once pondered whether the world would end in fire, or in ice. They weren't heralding the world's end, but this week fire and ice both reared their heads across the state.

A total fire ban has been cancelled after stormy weather brought rain to much of the Territory on Tuesday morning.

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. 

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.

The elderly are heading up north, and we have only their Instagram posts to warm us.

A severe weather warning with winds averaging 60 to 70km/h has been issued for the Snowy Mountains and surrounding areas.

This weekend is set to be another warm, muggy one - and next weekend may be much the same.

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

Canberrans can expect a cool change from Monday after a warm and windy weekend.

Forecasters predict heavy rain, strong winds and increasing swells.

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.

Sydney's run of balmy weather will take a break as a strong cold front brings a wintry chill to much of the state's south.

Sydneysiders can expect several days of rain-soaked commutes after an early morning downpour ended three weeks of uninterrupted sunshine.

South-east Queensland is mopping up after being battered by a line of intense thunderstorms that cut power to more than 27,000 homes and businesses.

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

Brisbane's sweaty masses are set for a slight reprieve leading into the weekend, with the high temperatures and sticky humidity both set to become that little more bearable.