The storm front lashed the city with wind gusts reaching 83km/h at Canberra Airport, where 9mm of rain fell in an hour. Australia's weather bureau recorded gusts up to 101km/h and rainfalls up to 12mm elsewhere in the region.

Emergency services responded to 20 incidents in one hour on Tuesday afternoon before the storms passed the city. By 7.30pm, the ACT Emergency Services Agency had received 73 requests for assistance. The majority of responses were to fallen trees on roads and properties.

The agency reported power lines down in Narrabundah, Hughes, Fisher, Flynn and Kaleen, and said crews were alerted to leaking roofs and flash flooding.

Power outages hit Red Hill, Kaleen, Mitchell, Griffith, Kambah, Weston, Crace, Cotter Road, the Paddys River district and Tidbinbilla Track.

Trees took radio station 2CC off the air for an hour when they fell on power lines near its studios. The station returned to air after Evoenergy arrived to remove the trees.

ABC Canberra also reported the wild weather caused problems for its analogue radio broadcast, and on Twitter directed listeners to its phone app and digital service.

Canberra was in the path of a line of storms heading from south-west NSW driven by an inland trough.

Damaging wind gusts were predicted more likely further west in NSW, and the east was facing heavy rainfall and large hail.

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Jordan Notara said storms could continue on Wednesday in the ACT although these were forecast to be less severe. Rain would return to Canberra later in the week, he said.

Emergency services advised people to move their car under cover or away from trees, secure or put away loose items around the house, yard and balcony and keep at least eight metres away from fallen power lines or objects that may be energised.