VIOLENT thunderstorms are set to roll into Newcastle as the summer season kicks off.
Hot and dry weather on the horizon means that while there might be less rain coming, the conditions mean east coast storm activity could get wild.
State Emergency Service (SES) commander for the northern zone Andrew Cribb said the best thing locals could do is be prepared.
"We are expecting drier conditions in the long-term forecast, however, we are expecting significant storms to be occurring in that time," he said.
"Please prepare your properties and limit the damage to those properties with your actions."
He urged residents to clean out gutters and drains, secure loose items that could be blown around like trampolines, and trim any nearby tree branches that could crash onto homes or cars.
He warned that while the wet weather that soaked the region in the past couple of years isn't on the radar, floods were still a very real risk.
"Whilst we're not expecting that severe rainwater, the storms that we're expecting do release heavy amounts of rain in a short period of time, which creates flash flooding," he said.
He said the biggest risk to people during wild weather was being hit by debris or hail, or in rarer cases, struck by lightning, and floodwaters were also a significant danger.
"Do not drive through them, do not walk through them, they are dangerous," Chief Superintendent Cribb said.
"Where you are in a severe weather event, always seek shelter."
The official storm season for the SES runs from September through to March.
It got off to a cracking start with a light show over Newcastle on Monday night.
"Luckily there wasn't much damage, the majority of that activity happened offshore," Chief Superintendent Cribb said.
There were more than 2000 calls for help of SES volunteers in the northern zone last season, which covers an area from the Central Coast to Nambucca Heads.
Chief Superintendent Cribb said SES crews were ready to help 24/7 and had been investing in training after a big few months of flooding last year and earlier this year.
"We've restocked, replenished, and had a little bit of down time, so the volunteers are raring to go," he said.
SES units in every local government area need volunteers and are actively recruiting across all roles - including storm help, flood rescue, and administration.
More thunderstorms are on the forecast for Newcastle later this week.
