Melbourne is bracing for flooding as a huge storm moves across the state, with falls of 50 milimetres in the city's north-east suburbs likely on Saturday morning.

Gusty winds buffeted parts of Sydney late on Tuesday as a band of dry thunderstorms moved across parts of eastern NSW.

What weather will Santa deliver for Christmas Day?

If Thursday hits its predicted peak it will be the ACT's longest March heat spell on record.

Global temperature records continue to tumble, with August easily the hottest in 124 years of data, Japan's Meteorological Agency says.

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.

Residents in north-eastern NSW advised not to travel as heavy rains from another east coast low lift flood risks all the way down to the Hunter.

Sydney's late-summer spell of unusual warmth shows little sign of making way for autumn with another week of mild to hot weather ahead.

Temperatures are set to climb towards 40 degrees in coming days in Sydney's west with only cooling sea breezes likely to cap the mercury in the city.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for parts of Sydney.

Hume Coal’s mine and rail project applications have been referred back to the Independent Planning Commission for a public hearing and determination within 12 weeks.

A broad and unpredictable trough stretching across south-east Australia could inundate Canberra with a month's worth of rain this weekend.

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 "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.

The impacts of the monster El Nino in the Pacific are likely to intensify across much of Australia, including worsening drought and an elevated bushfire threat, after conditions that were nullifying its effects suddenly retreated.

Winter's grip will finally feel like it's loosened amid a "heat spike" this weekend - even if that season's squeeze was not a very tight one.

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

Fires breached containment lines in two NSW locations on Sunday morning as temperatures climbed above 35 degrees in parts of the state and Sydney.

Santa looks set to bring Melburnians a mild and mostly sunny Christmas Day.

Broken Hill's water reserves are down to about 4 per cent amid forecasts the town will be without water by the end of the year.