CANBERRA has a chance of severe thunderstorms over the next 48 hours with the chance of flash flooding, large hail and damaging winds.

“Thunderstorms developed over eastern New South Wales on Monday afternoon, prompting warnings for damaging winds, large hail and flash flooding,” The Weather Channel senior meteorologist Tom Saunders said.

“Around Sydney the heaviest falls went to the western suburbs with Castle Hill picking up 24mm and Kings Langley 16mm. A southerly change weakened the storms near the coast but further north parts of Newcastle were hit with around 30mm.

“Early this morning severe thunderstorms also swept across eastern Melbourne, dumping 15mm of rain on Moorabbin Airport and 18mm on Ferny Creek. Intense thunderstorms also hit Bendigo at around 7am, causing 7mm in just 15 minutes.

“Rain and thunderstorms will continue across most of south-eastern Australia today as warm and humid northerly winds pump moisture into a pair of slow moving troughs of low-pressure. Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra all have a chance of seeing severe thunderstorms with flash flooding, large hail and damaging winds.”

“The rain will temporarily clear from New South Wales and Victoria overnight but heavy rain and thunderstorms will redevelop on Wednesday as a cold-front approaches from the Bight. Again severe storms are possible which could produce large hail, damaging winds and flash flooding.”