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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Slow-moving Typhoon Hagupit has weakened as it churns across the central Philippines islands, easing fears of widespread mass destruction, but officials warn the storm could still bring severe flooding to the low-lying capital Manila.