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

There are more than 4000 uninhabitable homes across NSW as people begin to wonder what to do amid the mammoth clean-up effort.

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.

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.

Thunderstorms have rumbled their way across Sydney for the ninth consecutive day, with more thunder and lightning on the horizon throughout Monday morning and into the afternoon.

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

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.

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.

Unless you've been inside a 200kmh blast of wind it's hard to imagine the tremendous natural force behind it.

Canberrans still wringing themselves out from the wettest June on record shouldn't put away their gumboots just yet.

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.

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.

Growing winds and driving rain from Hurricane Hermine lashed Florida's northern Gulf Coast on Friday as forecasters warned of "life-threatening" floods.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.