A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Sydney this afternoon bringing with it damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rain.

Sydney’s West has already been hit with extreme conditions, with residents of Emu Plains capturing dramatic footage of hail in their backyards around 2pm and residents in Penrith reporting power outages.

#Storm warning: strong winds & hail poss in #Sydney #Hunter #Illawarra. Heavy #rain in #Penrith, #Camden. #weather pic.twitter.com/oNNW38XmoL

— Paul Kadak (@PaulKadak) February 17, 2017

Hail in Penrith. Severe thunderstorm warning: Newcastle, Gosford, Sydney, Wollongong, Bowral, Orange, Mudgee, Bathurst and Katoomba. #7News pic.twitter.com/3bfUksWgOF

— 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) February 17, 2017

#Hail now @ #Penrith. #Heaviest falls moving across #Sydney's west. #Storm warning in place. @7NewsSydney #weather pic.twitter.com/6Ru4YuaDpC

— Paul Kadak (@PaulKadak) February 17, 2017

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe thunderstorm warning, forecasting the storm to hit southern regions, Sutherland, Engadine, Fairfield, Horsley Park, Liverpool and Helensburgh after 3pm.

They predict the storms will hit Sydney’s western suburbs much harder than eastern suburbs.

The SES has urged everyone to avoid driving their cars where possible. They have also advised people to move their vehicles under cover or away from trees.

Source: 9 News

Image: Instagram - MeMyMichelle