Canberra is set for a wild and windy Queen's Birthday public holiday, as a severe weather warning has been issued forecast for the ACT.
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The Bureau of Meteorology issued the warning for damaging winds just before 5am for the ACT, as well as the Snowy Mountains and parts of the south coast, southern tablelands and Illawarra.
Wind gusts in excess of 90km/h have been predicted for Monday, and there are forecast to be average wind gusts of between 60km/h and 70km/h throughout the day.
On the mountains, the winds are predicted to be even more damaging. Speeds are predicted to reach 125km/h in areas above 1900 metres, during the first weekend of the ski season.
Winds of up to 100km/h have already been recorded at Thredbo just after 4am.
A spokesman for the bureau said the damaging conditions were due to a fast-moving front.
"Winds will increase over much of the southern ranges this morning as a front brushes the southern parts of NSW," the spokesman said.
"Winds should ease by the later part of the day, as the front rapidly tracks to the Tasman Sea."
The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service has urged travel among back country areas to be postponed until conditions improve later in the day.
The SES recommended residents in affected areas move vehicles under cover and secure loose items around the home, yard and balcony areas.
The bureau has forecast for winds to die down later this evening in Canberra. It forecast a top of 14 degrees and said there was an 80 per cent chance of rain on Monday, most likely in the late morning and afternoon. There is also the chance of a gusty thunderstorm in the afternoon.