Suburbs were pelted with hail, roads were left waterlogged and lightning strikes sparked train delays as storms rolled across Wollongong on Monday.
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The day began under dark skies as a storm front moved through just after 8am, bringing heavy rain, thunder and lots of lightning.
The lightning struck rail equipment, forcing South Coast Line train services to be suspended between Albion Park and Wollongong for a short time.
Hail was reported in a number of areas, including Thirroul, Bulli and Dapto.
Bellambi had 26.4mm of rain in the 24 hours to 9am on Monday, with a further 4.4mm recorded to 5pm.
Seventeen millimetres fell in 18 minutes over the coastal suburb.
The storms were caused by a low pressure system, which deepened as it moved southeast across NSW.
The low is expected to intensify further this evening before rapidly moving away towards New Zealand.
Conditions will improve on Tuesday. Wollongong can expect a partly cloudy Melbourne Cup Day, with a forecast maximum of 19 degrees.
The city can expect a medium chance of showers, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, although little rain is expected.
A severe weather warning for damaging winds remains current for the South Coast and coastal parts of the Illawarra on Monday evening.
Damaging winds averaging 60 to 70km/h, with peak gusts in excess of 90 km/h, are likely during Monday afternoon and evening for the South Coast and the Illawarra coast and adjacent escarpment.
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Andrew Pearson
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
