Bad weather set to return to northern NSW

Heavy rain and flooding will return to NSW this week - but this time the state's north will cop a pounding.

Gale force winds and more than 350mm rainfall will hit parts of the mid-north coast and northern rivers regions, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

But Sydney and the Hunter region, where four people were left dead following last week's storms, are likely to be spared the worst of the conditions.