Bureau of Meteorology issues warnings for Sydney and Brisbane over intense storms and large hail

Residents in Sydney, Brisbane and surrounding communities have been warned to prepare for fierce thunderstorms on Tuesday evening.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued the warning for southeast Queensland about 4.40pm and for the Sydney area about 6.20pm.

Southeast Queenslanders are warned about damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and possibly very large hailstones.

While Sydneysiders have been told to expect heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding, as other wider areas of NSW have been warned about large hailstones.

The Bureau said an unstable weather environment is conducive to 'rapid severe thunderstorms' throughout eastern NSW and southeastern Queensland.

The affected wider areas of NSW are the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast, Hunter, Metropolitan, Illawarra and parts of Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes, Northern Tablelands, South Coast, Central West Slopes and Plains, and Australian Capital Territory forecast districts.

The affected regional areas in Queensland include the Scenic Rim, Southern Downs, Western Downs, South Burnett, Central Highlands and Coalfields, Capricornia, Wide Bay and Burnett, Darling Downs and Granite Belt, and Southeast Coast forecast districts.

The Bureau said there was a risk of 'giant hail' at Woorabinda, which is west of Rockhampton.

A view of the thunderstorm developing over Sydney from the suburb of Fairfield