Severe thunderstorms which wreaked havoc in Sydney, and have left more than 30,000 homes and businesses without power with parts of NSW still copping a drenching.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning with heavy rainfall, damaging winds and large hailstones forecast across northern NSW and the central west.
Wind gusts of up to 107km/h have been recorded at Coonamble in the central-western plains while winds reached 105km/h in Narrabri in the state's north west slopes, the bureau said.
Storms which lashed parts of Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong earlier in the evening had eased by about 9.15pm prompting the cancellation of a severe thunderstorm warning, the bureau said.
During the storms more than 40mm of rain fell in 30 minutes in Auburn in Sydney's west.
Endeavour Energy emergency crews are restoring power to more than 30,000 homes and businesses in the Blue Mountains, western Sydney and the Illawarra after lightning and damaging winds lashed the areas.
Some people in Warragamba, Silverdale and Wallacia in Sydney's west will be without power overnight due to the widespread damage of the storm, Endeavour Energy said in a statement on Thursday night.
Work to restore power is expected to go into the night.
