Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain are producing flooding, hail and damaging winds in parts of NSW, the ACT and Victoria today.

An upper-level low pressure system passing over southeastern Australia on Monday is causing the widespread showers and intense thunderstorms.

Image: Severe thunderstorms over southeastern Australia on Monday, January 20th.

This system has prompted numerous warnings from northern NSW down to southern Victoria, including Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.

Shortly after midday, powerful thunderstorms passed over the ACT and brought a burst of heavy rain, powerful winds and hail to Canberra. A wind gust of 116km/h was recorded at the airport at 12:45pm as hail stripped leaves from trees around the city.

Image: Hail falling at Canberra's Australian National University during a severe thunderstorm on Monday, January 20th. Source: Professor Nerilie Abram

Another storm produced a wind gust of 91km/h at Bathurst a few minutes after 1pm on Monday. Any storms passing over parched areas of western NSW during Monday afternoon and night have the potential to cause areas of raised dust. On Sunday, a huge dust storm rolled over the central western NSW ahead of an approaching thunderstorm. The cloud of dirt engulfed Dubbo late in the day, shortly before the thunderstorm behind it brought a burst of rain and wind gusts up to 107km/h.

Image: A large duststorm approaching Dubbo on Sunday, January 19th. Source: Andrew Hildebrandt

Sunday also saw supercell thunderstorms erupting over central Victoria, with large hailstones hitting parts of Melbourne during the afternoon.

Be sure to keep an eye on the radar and check the latest warnings across southeastern Australia on Monday.