Damaging Winds Sweep Western NSW as Severe Storm System Moves East

Updated: 25 October 2026, 7:18 pm AEDT

A line of severe thunderstorms brought damaging winds to western New South Wales on Sunday, 25 October, as a broad storm system moved across eastern Australia. The Bureau of Meteorology’s noon AEDT briefing confirmed that storms had already produced damaging winds that morning and extended into north-east Victoria.

The Guardian reported on Sunday afternoon that gusts of up to 100km/h had been recorded in the NSW central west around midday. It also reported a severe thunderstorm warning covering Sydney, greater Wollongong and parts of the Blue Mountains and surrounding districts that afternoon.

The bureau said a cold front and trough were driving the outbreak. Its Sunday briefing identified damaging winds, large hail and heavy rain as risks across affected parts of NSW, the ACT, eastern Victoria and southern Queensland. Those hazards were forecasts, rather than confirmation that every area would experience them.

Rain had already caused flash flooding in parts of Victoria earlier on Sunday. The bureau also recorded 100–200mm overnight in parts of Queensland’s Wide Bay and Burnett, adding pressure to river catchments after a wet week.

The system was forecast to continue through Sunday night, with further severe storms possible on Monday in north-east NSW and south-east Queensland. Residents should check the latest bureau warnings, which can change rapidly, and avoid entering floodwater.