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.

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

Storms hit the Sydney region, bringing hail and damaging winds.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.