Massive hailstones the size of tennis balls pummel cars and homes in Sydney

Sydney has been battered with lightning and massive hail stones measuring as big as 8cm in wild weather ahead of the holidays.

Heavy rain and bursts of hail swept across the city during peak hour.

One driver filmed a power pole being struck by lightning in a burst of blinding light while driving home in Marsden Park.

Other parts of Sydney were pounded by large hail – shattering car windows.

Mark Schramm tweeted a piece of hail, comparing it to the size of an egg.

A man visiting the Beresford Hotel in Surry Hills tweeted photos of the patio blanketed in white.

Isel Smith tweeted a photo of a car with its back window completely shattered.

“Lived here for over 20 years and I have never seen hail that big!” she tweeted.

An estimated 7,000 lightning strikes hit the city too.

A 61-year-old woman and her two young grandkids were rescued from Grange Road in Schofields after their car was driven into flood waters.

Penrith received 43mm of rain while Richmond had 41 and West Pennant Hills 32.

Bureau of Meteorology’s Craig Ryan said a combination of humidity and warm temperatures were “providing the ingredients for some severe storms”.

SES crews have been moving around Sydney working through a backlog of jobs. Wednesday night’s storm added around another 300 to their list.