Ben Domensino, 14 Jan 2012, 2:40 AM UTC
Hunter awakes to intense storms
Those living in Norah Head awoke to their heaviest January rain in 16 years today as intense thunderstorms flared up along the NSW Central Coast.
This morning's storms, which resulted from an area of converging winds within a region of atmospheric instability, developed near Gosford at around 3am. At 6am, heavy rain and lightning had spread from Gosford to Newcastle and by 9am the storms had moved off the coast.
The heaviest rain was recorded in Wyong, where 74mm fell before 9am. Norah Head managed to record their wettest January day since 1996 with 49mm, including a burst of 9mm in just 10 minutes. Gosford saw almost one third of their usual January rainfall, with a total of 41mm, of which 31mm fell in only half an hour.
Further south, the Sydney Basin only received isolated showers. Cronulla gained 12mm and Manly 5mm, with most areas picking up less than 5mm.
Thunderstorm activity will continue in northeastern NSW today as moist winds feed into a trough of low pressure. Widespread rainfall totals of 10-15mm are expected through the Northern Tableland and Mid North Coast, with isolated falls in excess of 30mm a good chance. These storms may become severe, so be sure to check the latest warnings at www.weatherzone.com.au.
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