Our famously hot, dry and sunny Australian summer will take a short rest over the weekend, with every capital city expected to experience at least three days of showers or storms.

After sweltering through a stifling pre- and post-Christmas period, people in the capitals will need to dust off the umbrellas as storms roll through large parts of the continent.

Conditions have been so extreme in Sydney that it’s had a January rainfall record, while Geelong, to the west of Melbourne’s metropolitan zone, was sensationally inundated with flooding on Wednesday and Thursday.

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“Summer is a severe weather season, so we do get showers and storms which is not unusual,” Weatherzone meteorologist Tristan Meyers told The New Daily.

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“But the widespread rain is because we have very active low pressure troughs spanning across the country.”

A car underwater at Geelong Railway Station. Photo: ABC

Mr Meyers confirmed that Sydney had experienced its wettest January since 1988 and that expected downpours on Friday could break further rainfall records.

He said the south-east of the country was being swamped by a “deep low pressure trough” that would soon hit Adelaide and western Victoria.

“While in the north [of Australia] the tropics are becoming more and more active with a tropical low developing in the eastern Indian Ocean,” Mr Meyers said.

The rain forecast for Australia is so widespread that even Perth will likely be hit by a thunderstorm and unusually cooler temperatures.

Sydney: – Friday 30C (Storm) – Saturday 29C (Showers) – Sunday 28C (Showers)

Sydney has already had double the amount of rain that a typical January would have (227.6 millimetres).

This amount is the most since 1988 and the forecast for the next three days could push that record to higher levels.

There is a 70 per cent chance of rain for all three days and the outlook of a storm on Friday is expected to be fulfilled in the afternoon or evening.

Melbourne: – Friday 19C (Showers) – Saturday 22C (Showers) – Sunday 23C (Showers)

After an extremely dark and stormy Thursday, the rain will continue through the weekend in Melbourne with an 80 per cent chance of showers on Friday, 70 per cent on Saturday and 60 per cent chance on Sunday.

By Monday, the forecast for Melbourne will clear up and warmer temperatures are expected by Tuesday.

Melbourne will have its storm on Friday, BoM forecasted. Photo: Getty

Canberra: – Friday 27C (Storm) – Saturday 26C (Showers) – Sunday 23C (Showers)

A storm is forecast to hit the nation’s capital in the afternoon or evening.

Conditions through the weekend will stay fairly warm, considering rain is expected on each day, meaning Canberra will be nice and sticky.

Another storm is forecast to hit the city next Wednesday.

Brisbane: – Friday 34C (Storm) – Saturday 34C (Storm) – Sunday 34C (Storm)

Brisbane looks to be the most uncomfortable city to be in this weekend.

Three identical days of 34C with thunderstorms are expected to hit the city.

Only light winds on Friday will provide some respite from the warm conditions.

Perth: – Friday 35C (Showers) – Saturday 29C (Storm) – Sunday 23C (Shower)

After a hot and rainy Friday, a storm will roll through Perth on Saturday in the mid morning or afternoon.

It will cool down to 23C on Sunday with a 50 per cent chance of rain.

Things even get stormy in usually-sunny Perth sometimes. Photo: Getty

Adelaide: – Friday 23C (Showers) – Saturday 25C (Showers) – Sunday 29C (Partly cloudy)

If you want to be in the city with the least rain over the weekend the best place to be is Adelaide.

While there will be a 60 per cent chance of showers on the Friday and the Saturday, there is only a 5 per cent chance on Sunday.

Darwin: – Friday 33C (Storm) – Saturday 32C (Storm) – Sunday 31C (Storm)

Darwin will be decidedly tropical this weekend, with a forecast in line with much of the weather it’s been through over the last two months.

There are storms forecast for Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the corresponding temperatures set to be 33C, 32C and 31C.

Hobart: – Friday 22C (Storm) – Saturday 21C (Showers) – Sunday 22C (Showers)

Tasmania’s capital is the most likely to be rained on this weekend.

For Friday’s forecast storm, there is a 95 per cent chance of rain, which drops to 90 per cent on Saturday and then to 70 per cent on Sunday.

The thunderstorm warning has been put out for Friday morning in Hobart.

Hobart is the most likely capital city to get rain this weekend. Photo: Getty