Snow-like hail, deadly tree falls as weather kicks up a storm

A woman was killed and at least two other people were injured in wild storms on the Gold Coast, while towns in central NSW were blanketed in a snow-like covering of hailstones as Christmas weekend weather ranged from heat waves to deluges to cold snaps.

Crews in the iconic Sydney to Hobart yacht race were warned on Tuesday to brace for 35-knot (65 km/h) gusts, big swells, hail and erratic winds once the fleet hits deep water. The Boxing Day cricket Test began as planned on Tuesday morning, but under grey skies and the threat of rain delays.

AAP