One dead as ‘horrendous’ rain hits Sydney

One person is dead, two police officers have been injured and almost 130 flights cancelled after a month’s worth of rain was dumped on Sydney in just two hours.

Floodwaters in Lewisham on Wednesday morning.

A series of thunderstorms battered the NSW coast from Newcastle down to Wollongong on Wednesday morning, causing havoc for commuters and emergency services.

The weather bureau warned more rain and hail was likely later in the day, as authorities urged people to think about alternatives for their afternoon commute or school pick-up.

Read The New Daily story - “One dead as ‘horrendous’ rain hits Sydney.”

Beast from the East': Four dead in French avalanche as weather system causes chaos

Four skiers have been killed and another injured in an avalanche in the French Alps, as the deadly Siberian weather system nicknamed "Beast from the East" continued to cause chaos across Europe.

People were able to walk and skate on Amsterdam's Prinsengracht canal after it froze.

The group was on a ski touring expedition in an off-trail area near Entraunes, close to the Italian border in the southern Alps.

The identities of the skiers were not immediately released. Prosecutor Jean-Michel Pretre of Nice said in remarks shown on French television that they were "seniors", all with experience in backcountry skiing.

Meanwhile, the extraordinary weather system, which has now claimed more than 50 lives, continued to bring disruption to many countries across Europe.

Read the ABC News story - “‘Beast from the East': Four dead in French avalanche as weather system causes chaos.”