Four people struck by lightning in Sydney

Four people have been injured in a lightning strike and hundreds have been left stranded as train stations shut down amid severe storms across Sydney.

The group was struck at about 12.45pm on Monday, while standing beneath a tree near the entrance to the Botanic Gardens of Sydney.

All four have been rushed to hospital, with a man in his late teens and a woman in her 20s taken to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and a man and a woman in their 30s taken to St Vincent’s Hospital.

The incident comes as all trains running between Gordon and North Sydney were cancelled due to severe weather damaging equipment at Milsons Point and North Sydney.

Syndey Trains has requested commuters “delay travel if possible or use alternative transport such as the Metro and local buses”.

It is understood buses en route to the CBD were not stopping at North Sydney, leaving Sydney locals stranded at bus stops.

Intense storms and heavy rainfall are battering parts of NSW, including Sydney, as severe thunderstorm warnings are issued around the state.

The alert from the Bureau of Meteorology said the warning was “for people in parts of Mid North Coast, Hunter, North West Slopes and Plains, Northern Tablelands, Central Tablelands and Central West Slopes and Plains Forecast Districts”.

“A series of troughs are causing slow-moving showers and thunderstorms this morning,” the warning read.

“Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours.

“Locations which may be affected include Newcastle, Scone, Armidale, Inverell, Bundarra and Quirindi.”

On Monday, Weatherzone’s Total Lightning Network detected around 210,000 lightning strikes within a 200km radius of Newcastle between 5am and 11am AEDT.

The Newcastle region will also experience several slow-moving thunderstorms, causing isolated areas of high rainfall and prolific lightning.

A separate severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for people in parts of Greater Newcastle and Gosford/Wyong areas.

“The Bureau of Meteorology warns that, at 11.35am, a severe thunderstorm likely to produce heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding was detected near Wangi Wangi and Awaba,” they said.

“This thunderstorm is slow moving.

“It is forecast to affect Brightwaters and Lake Macquarie by 12.05pm and Swansea, Mannering Park and Nords Wharf by 12.35pm.”

Meanwhile, Western Australia is preparing for the fallout of Ex-Cyclone Lincoln as it drifts toward the northwest coast of the state from the Northern Territory.

The ex-cyclone is currently tracking from the Gulf of Carpentaria across central NT and is set to continue leaving strong winds and heavy in its wake.

Intense rain has been experienced in Tennant Creek, copping more than 138mm in the past 24 hours, while more rain is forecast in the southern Gregory and northern Tanami districts.

Parts of both areas can expect as much as 180mm of rain, while winds could reach up to 90km/h.

The cyclone has the potential to redevelop into a cyclone off the northwest coast of WA by the middle of the week, and will likely create heavy localised rainfall and damaging wind gusts.