As of 11:56am today:

Gusts of more than 100km/h have been recorded south of Sydney, wet weather and debris have delayed trains, a large tree has fallen on cars on the north shore and an awning has been ripped off a cake shop in the east.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued gale warnings for the metropolitan, Illawarra and Hunter coastal areas and surf watchers are warning of two- to three-metre waves pounding shores north and south of the city.

When I went for a wander at lunch time I expected to see some distinctly choppy waters, even back to the west of the Harbour Bridge. That really wasn't the case, but it was distinctly chilly on the occasions that the gusts kicked up.

And yet at other times, when there was little wind, you would occasionally get a shaft of sunlight beaming down and warming you. And, in the process, creating the occasional sparkling spots of light in an otherwise heavily grey environment. Just like this, in fact.