4.20pm: The Bureau of Meteorology has cancelled the detailed severe weather warning for the Illawarra, however a more general severe thunderstorm warning remains current.
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Severe storms are currently affecting Sydney, with hail of about 1-2cm reported at Blackheath and a large accumulation on the ground.
Meanwhile, the bureau has issued a gale warning for the Sydney, Illawarra, Batemans and Eden coasts on Sunday.
3pm: The Illawarra can expect its Anzac Day sunshine will disappear late Saturday afternoon as storms approach the region from the west.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a detailed severe thunderstorm warning for large hailstones and damaging wind for people in parts of the Greater Wollongong, Blue Mountains/Hawkesbury, Sydney and Wollondilly/Wingecarribee areas.
The warning, issued at 2.57pm Saturday, said severe thunderstorms were detected on weather radar near Mulgoa at 3pm, the Nattai National Park, Silverdale and Warragamba.
"These thunderstorms are moving towards the southeast," the bureau said.
"They are forecast to affect Badgerys Creek, Cobbity, Leppington, Oran Park, Bargo and Hill Top by 3:30 pm and Campbelltown, Holsworthy, Horsley Park, Liverpool, Lake Avon and the area just east of Bowral by 4:00 pm.
"Large hailstones and damaging winds are likely."
According to the BOM, hail of about 1-2cm was reported at Blackheath, with a large accumulation on the ground.
A more general severe thunderstorm warning is also current for the Illawarra, South Coast, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes, Snowy Mountains, Australian Capital Territory and parts of the Hunter and Metropolitan districts.
Weatherzone meteorologist Ben McBurney said a cold pool of air in the upper atmosphere over western NSW was interacting with a surface trough to its east, generating unstable conditions across the region.
‘‘Thunderstorms have fired up this morning across southern NSW and the ACT, already affecting places such as Albury and Canberra,’’ Mr McBurney said in an update on the Weatherzone website.
‘‘As the day wears on thunderstorms will become more widespread, reaching central parts of NSW and the coast by the afternoon.
‘‘Thunderstorms could possibly be severe, bringing the risk of large hail and damaging winds.’’
Mr McBurney said as the pool of cold air shifts east, thunderstorms will remain a risk about the NSW south and central coasts on Sunday, although they will be much more isolated than Saturday.
‘‘Generally stable conditions will return to NSW and the ACT by Monday as a ridge of high pressure builds across the region,’’ he said.
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