There has been chaos at Sydney airport throughout Friday after dozens of flights were cancelled on the eve of the NSW school holidays due to strong winds.

Up to 100 cancelled flights were to be spread throughout Friday as the airport tried to manage using its one east-west runway, rather than twin north-south tarmacs.

The wild winds came amid a bleak forecast for much of Australia, with another round of heavy rain on the way.

Early on Friday, the last day of the term for NSW public schools, air traffic control advised Sydney airport it could use only one runway due to westerly winds of up to 35km/h forecast throughout the day.

A Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson told the ABC westerly winds that strength were “a hazard to the aircraft using north-south runways in landing or departing due to strong cross-winds”.

An airport spokeswoman said there would be some flight delays and cancellations as a result of the weather conditions.

“Airlines are working hard to re-accommodate passengers and get them on their way,” she said.

“If passengers have questions regarding the status of their flight, we encourage them to contact their airline.”

The weather conditions forced Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar to ground flights to popular holiday destinations, including the Gold Coast, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra, leaving passengers stranded.

Friday’s chaos came after dozens of flights along Australia’s east coast were cancelled or delayed on Thursday due to a severe shortage of air traffic control staff, particularly in Brisbane.

Also on Thursday, a Qantas flight to Canberra was forced to return to Sydney airport after cabin crew reported an unusual smell on board. The plane was given a priority landing and met by fire crews

“One of our Sydney to Canberra flights returned to Sydney yesterday morning after crew reported an unusual smell. It’s standard practice for fire services to attend a priority landing,” a Qantas spokesperson told The Guardian.

“No passengers were impacted by the smell and [they] were re-accommodated on flights yesterday morning. Our engineers are checking the aircraft.”

Friday’s cancellations, representing roughly one in eight of the day’s aircraft movements, did not affect international flights.

Rain on the way

Elsewhere, the weather system that brought heavy rain and even the threat of rare snow to central Australia earlier this week is being followed by another unwelcome winter band.

Some parts of Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory had several months’ rain in one or two days this week, bringing flooding and cutting off roads.

Other regions broke records for June cold. Forecaster Weatherzone said on Friday, another blast was on the way for millions of Australians.

“Another pulse of heavier rainfall will develop over WA’s Kimberley and the NT Interior on Friday and Saturday, before spreading further east across Queensland from Sunday into early next week,” it said.

“Some forecast models also suggest NSW, Victoria, the ACT and even Tasmania could pick up some rain from this system next week.”

Weatherzone said broad areas in far northern WA, the NT and Queensland could get up to 100 millimetres of rain in the next five days.

There are already flood watches active in WA and the NT.

“More flood watches, and possibly flood warnings, will be issued in the next few days as this second pulse of rain spreads across northern and central Australia,” Weatherzone said.

-with AAP