Ben Domensino, 19 Apr 2018, 3:12 AM UTC
Storms strike NSW
Thunderstorms have developed over central and northern NSW and are likely to affect parts of Sydney this afternoon.
The storms storms are developing as moisture-laden winds from the east feed into an unstable atmosphere, with the Great Dividing Range and a low pressure trough at the surface acting as the trigger for the Thursday thunder.
The day's first storms bubbled to life over the state's Central West Slopes and Plains, before moving east towards the Blue Mountains. As of 1pm EST, the storms had reached Bilpin and were heading towards Sydney's northwest.
Another large area of storms was moving towards the east near Coonamble and Narrabri in the early afternoon.
While no official warnings had been issued by 1pm EST, some storms may become intense enough to produce damaging winds, large hail and heavy rain later this afternoon.
Today's thunderstorms come after a notably dry start to April in NSW, with most of the state registering less than 20 per cent of rain during the first 19 days of the month.
Visit http://www.weatherzone.com.au/warnings.jsp for the latest severe thunderstorm warnings.
Note to media: You are welcome to republish text from the above news article as direct quotes from Weatherzone. When doing so, please reference www.weatherzone.com.au in the credit.