Canberrans are in for a soggy morning commute on Wednesday after overnight showers in the capital.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But predictions the ACT would be hit with its biggest drenching in more than eight months have been wound back, with the Bureau of Meteorology now forecasting between 15 and 25 millimetres of rainfall for Canberra on Wednesday.
The bureau had earlier forecast falls of up to 40 millimetres - which would have marked the capital's single biggest day of rainfall since a 64.4-millimetre drenching on February 26.
Canberra has received 3.8 millimetres of rain since midnight Tuesday, most of which came between 6.30am and 7.30am.
The bureau's duty forecast for NSW/ACT, Anita Pyne, said parts of Canberra could receive falls at the higher end of the forecast range if they were hit with localised thunderstorms.
"We predict there will be widespread falls of 10 millimetres - the [30 millimetres] might happen if a quite small cell dumped a lot of precipitation in a particular area," Ms Pyne said.
It would follow a large downpour last Thursday, when 22 millimetres of rain helped wash away the threat of a dust storm which was poised to sweep through Canberra.
November has brought welcome rain to drought-affected parts of the region, with 70.8 millimetres recorded in the capital this month.
It breaks a run of seven consecutive months of below average rainfall in the ACT, which included total falls of just 7.2 and 7.8 millimetres in March and July.
Meanwhile, Sydney is bracing for a months worth of rain to hit the harbour city on Wednesday, with predicted falls of up to 120 millimetres.
The wild weather has disrupted operations at Sydney Airport, with numerous flights cancelled or delayed.
Wollongong could also cop as much as 150 millimetres. Nowra could receive 70-100 millimetres, the bureau said. Blue Mountains towns such as Katoomba are likely to collect 60-90 millimetres.
The bureau has already issued an initial flood watch for rivers between the Illawarra and the Central Coast.
In contrast, regions to the north of NSW face elevated fire risks on Wednesday, with a total fire ban declared for the North Coast region, the NSW Rural Fire Service said.
