'Cloud tsunami': Shelf cloud rolls over Sydney's Bondi Beach

A dramatic shelf cloud has been captured on film in Sydney, as powerful storms hit Australia's east coast.

Crowds gathered to watch huge storm clouds - dubbed on social media as a "cloud tsunami" - form near Bondi on Friday.

Further north, hailstones the size of golf balls fell on the Central Coast region.

The temperature dropped from 28.3 degrees to 20.6 degrees within a few hours.

"All the dynamics of the atmosphere came together for a short time," said Mohammed Nabi, a Bureau of Meteorology forecaster. "It was a short, sharp event."

The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning for regions including Sydney's central business district and the Hunter. Heavy rainfall and flash flooding may be in store.

Belfast Telegraph Digital