Sydney, Brisbane, Wollongong, Wide Bay storm warning: Weather alert for enormous 1,400km stretch of Australia's east coast

A huge 1,400 kilometre stretch of land across Australia's east coast is set to be lashed by thunderstorms, with large hail forecast to hammer down on parts of Queensland.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned those living along the coast from NSW's Illarawarra region up to Queensland's Wide Bay are in the firing line for thunderstorms on Thursday afternoon.

'Severe storms with large hail, damaging winds and heavy rain possible about south-east Queensland and the Wide Bay. A risk of very dangerous storms inland,' the bureau's Queensland department tweeted.

Severe thunderstorms are also possible along the northern half of the NSW ranges and adjacent coastal areas. 

The miserable weather is set to continue for up to the next ten days, Weatherzone said, with central and eastern Australia to cop the worst of it.

'The bulk of the rain and storms will initially focus on central Australia, northern and western SA and southern WA between this Wednesday and Friday, with a bit of wet weather also affecting parts of Tas, Vic, NSW and Qld,' the weather service said.

'From the weekend, a deepening low pressure trough should allow showers and thunderstorms to become more active over eastern Australia.'

The wet and stormy weather will continue into the first half of next week. 

More to come