Spring-like weather across northern New South Wales and southern Queensland will continue today, but hot on its heels is a cold front bringing an increased risk of thunderstorms.
Northerly winds helped create a very mild day yesterday, with temperatures four to seven degrees above the July average in both states.
Sydney at 1pm yesterday reached a maximum temperature of 22.5 degrees, six degrees above the July average, and its warmest day in two months.
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Fire authorities in both NSW and Queensland have been taking advantage of the mild weather and modest winds by holding hazard-reduction burns.
But there have also been isolated lightning strikes in NSW and north-east Victoria as a cold front sweeps, with more forecast today.
At 2 pm yesterday, 308 lightning strikes had been recorded over the eastern states, with the most active cell near the NSW regional city of Wagga Wagga.
Later today, the trough will cause more instability through northern NSW and southern Queensland, as the warm temperatures meets humidity coming from the Coral Sea.
Some forecast modelling suggests conditions will be unstable enough for scattered thunderstorms, bringing the risk of large hail and damaging wind gusts.
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These conditions are more commonly seen in early spring rather than the middle of winter, but occur every few years.
Early indications suggest that the thunderstorm season this year could be more active than normal in eastern Australia, forecasters say.
Warmth and humidity from the warm oceans near Australia could combine with cold upper air and strong fronts over Antarctica to bring the unsettled conditions.
Meanwhile, the weather will remain mild until Sunday when a cold front crosses into NSW and temperatures will drop.
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