A total fire ban has been cancelled after stormy weather brought rain to much of the Territory on Tuesday morning.

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.

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. 

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

More thunderstorms expected in the territory this week before a drenching of up 100 millimetres of rain.

Robert Frost once pondered whether the world would end in fire, or in ice. They weren't heralding the world's end, but this week fire and ice both reared their heads across the state.

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.

This weekend is set to be another warm, muggy one - and next weekend may be much the same.

Canberrans can expect a cool change from Monday after a warm and windy weekend.

Forecasters predict heavy rain, strong winds and increasing swells.

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.

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.

What weather will Santa deliver for Christmas 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.

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

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

The pandemic delayed the global climate summit until November this year - one of the most fortuitous postponements in history.

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