A tornado has ripped through Ulladulla on the New South Wales south coast, leaving a trail of destruction as wild weather continues to batter Sydney and surrounding regions.

Locals were forced to duck for cover as the twister swept through the coastal town, damaging businesses and homes and prompting dozens of calls for help to the SES.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Tornado tears through Ulladulla as wild weather hits NSW

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At the Native Cafe in Ulladulla, the weather took a sudden and dramatic turn, with workers hustling patrons inside just moments before the cafe’s umbrellas fell victim to the lightning-fast storm.

As conditions deteriorated, locals first noticed a funnel-shaped cloud forming over the town.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” one witness said.

The tornado ripped through Ulladulla. Credit: 7NEWS

Wild weather battered NSW on Saturday. Credit: 7NEWS

The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed it was indeed a tornado, caused by a volatile low-pressure trough.

“Ulladulla has so far copped the worst of the weather with that tornado and the damage associated with that,” Bureau of Meteorology’s Angus Hines said.

“We also saw a real sharp burst of rainfall. About 27 millimetres fell in the region in pretty quick time.”

The weather front stretched from Dubbo to Merimbula, bringing severe conditions across a wide area.

Some of the destruction in Ulladulla. Credit: 7NEWS

Heavy rainfall in Sydney’s west. Credit: 7NEWS

Late this afternoon, hail began to fall at Cobbity in Sydney’s south-west, while heavy rain lashed Sydney’s north and west.

A late lightning show lit up the skies across Sydney as the SES and Ulladulla locals began the clean-up after a wild afternoon.