Massive storm shelf looms over Bondi Beach to finish week of freak weather around the country
Incredible images of an ominous storm cloud shelf moving across Sydney's eastern suburbs are flooding social media as residents of Australia's eastern states prepare for a swathe of wild weather.
Damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall is expected to sweep through parts of Sydney and the New South Wales Central Coast, with the state's emergency service warning residents to remain indoors.
WEATHER WARNINGS: What it's like in your state
Incredible shelf cloud captured at Vaucluse. Photo: Instagram/Blake James
Incredible shelf cloud captured at Vaucluse. Photo: Instagram/Blake James
Photo: Facebook/Kylie Abel
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning on Friday stating severe thunderstorms are set hit the Hunter Region, the Central Coast and Mid North Coast area around 1pm.
Residents from areas including Taree, Newcastle, Gosford, Woy Woy, Scone, Cessnock and Maitland were also warned to expect damaging winds and large hailstones.
Victoria's Central Coast, Central Gippsland Coast and East Gippsland Coast are expected to be lashed with wild winds on Friday evening and throughout Saturday, along with the far west coast of South Australia.
Beachgoers settle in for the amazing view. Photo: Twitter/Parker Mason
Photo: Weatherzone
Photo: Facebook/Divisha Gupta
Photo: Facebook/Sam Dixon
Spectacular shelf cloud over Sydney. Severe thunderstorm warning current: https://t.co/JNsYDWxzft pic.twitter.com/qPdzOfyUQc
— BOM New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) November 6, 2015
Tornado rips through northern Victoria
Earlier in the week, residents of Victoria were shocked by a freak tornado that ripped through the north of the state, damaging seven homes.
Photographs were posted to Facebook showing the destruction on Denison Street, Strathmerton. Photo: 7 News
The SES had 35 calls about trees creating traffic hazards in the state's north-east, 25 calls about building damage, and five for flooding.
Winds reached 90km/h and 117km/h in southern NSW.
Lightning and hail hit Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong
Video captured the terrifying moment a power pole appeared to explode just metres away from locals during a wild storm in Wollongong in New South Wales on Sunday.
The video, taken by Stevie Hislop, shows debris soaring through the skies, as torrential rain and wind batter down on the suburban street.
If she had been a few seconds slower she could have been hit by debris which was left strewn across the road and footpath. Source: Stevie Hislop.
While Stevie is still standing out on a balcony with her boyfriend, a power pole just metres away from the pair explodes in a burst of sparks.
Luckily both the couple and the woman running on the street, managed to escape being hit by the debris which was sent flying.
