Wild storms sweep across NSW coast

Wild storms have swept across large stretches of the NSW coast but the state's emergency service has received few calls for help.

Lightning lit up the sky in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong on Sunday evening and many suburbs experienced hail.

By 7pm the Bureau of Meteorology had cancelled a severe thunderstorm warning and the State Emergency Service (SES) reported the clean-up load was light.

"We've only had about 100 calls for help, and that's across the state," SES spokeswoman Sue Pritchard told AAP.

"About 40 of those jobs were in the Wollongong-Illawarra area - that's been the worst-hit part of the state.

"But it's been very quiet in Sydney."

A severe thunderstorm warning remained in place on Sunday night for inland towns stretching from Cooma to Bourke.

Residents in Canberra, Yass, Parkes, Nyngan, Wagga Wagga, Young, West Wyalong, Tumbarumba, Cobar and Wanaaring were also warned to expect damaging winds and large hailstones.