Emergency services prepare for east coast summer storm season

Parts of NSW received a drenching as the first of the summer storms hit the state.

Last night, Richmond received 36mm of rain, Hornsby received 15mm and Cronulla received 13mm.

Last night as the sun set over Canberra, the dusk sky was lit up and the Australian War Memorial was treated to an amazing lightning display.

In Sydney, a tree came down in Lane Cove as strong winds and rain hit the city.

Homes were damaged and power lines came down after strong winds wreaked havoc at Mount Druitt.

According to forecasters, the worst is yet to come.

A week of unstable weather has been predicted for Sydney, generated by north-easterly breezes.

Emergency services are getting ready for the summer storms.

"We often refer to this time of year as storm season," SES Assistant Commissioner Greg Newton said.

"Storms can happen at any time of year, but they tend to be more prevalent in the early summer."