Two major industry groups are asking the Australian and Queensland governments to financially support flood mitigation projects in the Greater Brisbane region that have been proven to work since the 2011 floods.

A severe storm is expected to narrowly miss Canberra on Monday afternoon.

Sydneysiders look set for a soggy commute to end the working week, as an intense low pressure system off the coast delivers widespread showers, wind and large and powerful surf conditions to the city.

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

Temperatures in Canberra reached 38.5 degrees as the region's first heatwave of the year peaked on Wednesday.

The trough that brought a series of storms to Canberra on Saturday is expected to affect the region until Monday.

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.

A fierce blast of winter has prompted a severe weather warning for most of southern NSW, including Sydney.

It will snow in the ACT tonight as a cold front moves over the region, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

The state's second east coast low in as many weeks is likely to bring further heavy rains to north-eastern NSW but largely skirt flood-hit areas around Sydney and the Hunter Valley, meteorologists say.

Sydney in for scorching weather on Friday as a slow-moving high-pressure system steers a huge hot air mass formed over Australia's Red Centre to the country's south-east.

Coogee Beach looked like a construction site - or a popular holiday destination for heavy machinery - as 12 large earth movers, two vacuum trucks and a crew of 35 worked to restore the beach to its pre-storm glory.

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.

Prepare for hotter days and a worsening drought - a ''substantial'' El Nino event is underway.

Sydneysiders can expect more rain to fall tonight before it clears to a cloudy but chilly Monday morning.

A powerful cold front is set to bring 'dangerous' conditions to large parts of south-eastern Australia in coming days and send temperatures plummeting in Sydney.

Enjoy the sunshine at the start of this week, as the the grey clouds and rain that have become all-too-familiar visitors in recent times are due to roll in again come Wednesday.

A high-pressure system "as big as Australia" could bring Sydney's warmest patch of weather since April, while most of the country will go for a week with little rain.

Electricity demand surged to its highest in Sydney and the rest of the state for the summer as a burst of inland heat sent the mercury into the low 40s in the city's west.

Unprecedented rain in Japan unleashed heavy floods that tore houses from their foundations, uprooted trees and forced thousands from their homes.