A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for large parts of Sydney this afternoon.

Damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rain that may lead to flash flooding are expected to hit the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Central Coast.

The Mid North Coast, Hunter, Illawarra, Central Tablelands and Northern Tablelands regions are also forecast to be affected.

The Bureau of Meteorology has singled out Cessnock, Maitland, Penrith, Parramatta, Batesmans Bay and Moruya Heads as areas most likely to be hit.

I’m a cloud counting teller of tantalizingly tall tales. Counted a real good one today. @2GB873 @BenFordhamLive @JimWilsonMedia pic.twitter.com/dCyxx49vb6

— Tim Bailey (@dailybaileylive) November 20, 2020

Parts of Sydney are also covered in smoke haze with a large hazard reduction burn underway at Terrey Hills in the Northern Beaches.

More small burns are scheduled over the weekend, RFS Inspector Ben Shepherd told Jim Wilson.

“A few people have been asking why, with such hot weather, would we be conducting a burn today, but the temperature is obviously just one element that we consider.

“What we have also got … is very high humidity … and the winds are relatively light.”

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