5.30pm: Traffic lights are flashing yellow on Lawrence Hargrave Drive at Wrexham Road in Thirroul.
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5.15pm: A severe thunderstorm warning for damaging winds, heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding and large hailstones for parts of the Metropolitan and Illawarra districts.
Locations which may be affected include Wedderburn, Heathcote and Helensburgh, the bureau said.
5pm: Parts of Wollongong have been hit by hail as storms moved across the city on Monday afternoon.
The wild weather came out of the blue for many – heavy rain moved across the Wollongong CBD about 4.25pm and a Bureau of Meteorology severe thunderstorm warning was issued a few minutes later.
The Mercury has received reports of hail at Thirroul and Woonona.
Flooding has closed one of two southbound lanes on the M1 Princes Motorway near Bulli Pass.
At 4.30pm, a detailed severe thunderstorm warning was issued for Wollongong’s northern suburbs, with Darkes Forest, Stanwell Park and Thirroul forecast to be in the firing line by 5.05pm and Helensburgh by 5.35pm.
The warning was cancelled at 4.55pm.
“Severe thunderstorms in the warning area have temporarily eased. Further severe thunderstorms are still possible,” the cancelled warning said.
The storm dumped 8.2 millimetres of rain in eight minutes at Albion Park.
Almost 18mm has fallen over the inland weather station since 9am, while 12mm has been recorded at Bellambi Point during the same period.
To the south, 9.4mm fell at Kiama in the 30 minutes to 4.30pm.
Do you have weather pictures to share? Email cos@illawarramercury.com.au or send it via the Facebook page.
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