Storm season has arrived early in NSW, thunderstorms rolling across much of the state from the west.
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A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for much of the state west of the Great Dividing Range.
Damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding are possible on Wednesday for towns including Enngonia, Walgett, Cobar, Bourke, Ivanhoe, Lightning Ridge and Brewarrina.
The trough wreaking the havoc will move across NSW, bringing showers and the potential for more severe thunderstorms to the east coast on Thursday and Friday, when the state's storm season begins.
Showers will be widespread, but storms will be less common, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
"It's not wall to wall storms. It's going to be quite hit and miss," meteorologist Hugh McDowell said.
"It's not an Armageddon scenario. We're going to get some severe thunderstorms... you just need to keep abreast of the potential for those thunderstorms."
The weather should begin clearing up on Saturday, in time for people to make the most of the public holiday on Monday, he said.
"The long weekend ... is looking drier with sunny skies and temperatures warming up as well.
"We're likely to see temperatures on the east coast into the mid to high 20s and in the west, high 20s to perhaps the low 30s."
However parts of the state's north are expected to be spared much of the rain, prompting authorities to warn that fire danger could be heightened over the weekend.
"With the weekend temperatures warming up, the air drying out, and sunny skies - we're also seeing westerly winds - that is going to increase the fire dangers across parts of the north coast, mid north coast, northern rivers district," Mr McDowell said.
Australian Associated Press
