NSW bracing for more severe storms

NSW could be in for more severe weather after thunderstorms and heavy rain lashed Sydney, the south coast and parts of the state's inland.Afternoon storms on Tuesday dumped about a month's worth of rain in less than a few hours, prompting the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) to describe it as a "one in 20-year event".BoM senior forecaster Chris Webb said a storm front which dropped 18mm of rain in the 30 minutes to 6am (AEDT) on Tuesday at Orange, in the state's central tablelands, was due to hit the Sydney Basin from 7am.The front could weaken by the time it reached Sydney, but storms forecast for Wednesday afternoon might resemble Tuesday's deluge, Mr Webb said."The Illawarra area, parts of the south coast, also Sydney metropolitan and parts of the Hunter as being the prime areas for some severe weather this afternoon," Mr Webb told AAP."I think it's a real possibility."Storms on Tuesday dumped 35mm of rain in 30 minutes on parts of Sydney's south-western outskirts, while Cringila, near Wollongong, copped 44mm in 30 minutes.The heaviest rainfall in Sydney was recorded at Strathfield, where 17mm of rain fell in just 15 minutes.Rose Bay, in Sydney's east, was hit with 26mm in a short period.At Bilpin, in the Blue Mountains, 70mm of rain also fell in 90 minutes early on Tuesday night.The spectacular lightning and thunder that hit parts of Sydney early on Wednesday morning did not bring much rain.