Torrential rain expected to hit Sydney next week as wild weather system brews off Australia’s east coast

An image from weather service Windy.com shows how the high winds are expected to swirl around the low-pressure system on Tuesday. Photograph: Windy

Sydney and parts of the New South Wales coast should brace themselves for a fast-developing weather system expected to bring damaging winds, heavy rainfall and flooding early next week, the Bureau of Meteorology has said.

Some areas could see flash and river flooding on Tuesday and Wednesday with the Sydney metro area “in the firing line”, the bureau said.