Damaging winds and large hailstones have battered parts of inland NSW on Friday, with the severe weather expected to hit Sydney in the afternoon.
A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued by the Bureau of Meteorology for areas on the NSW coast between Newcastle and Wollongong, and as far inland as Dubbo, where large hail and strong winds are already being felt.
The fast-moving storm is likely to bring hail, winds of up to 90 kilometres per hour and some heavy bursts of rain, senior forecaster Jake Phillips told AAP, but is unlikely to cause flash flooding.
Orange, Mudgee, Bathurst, Katoomba and Parkes are also in its path.
But the miserable weather will clear by Friday night, leaving NSW to swelter through a warm, dry weekend.
"By Monday we're looking at temperatures around the 40 degree mark in western Sydney, but the coast will stay between five and 10 degrees cooler," Mr Phillips said.
