Tamworth SES crews and residents preparing for possible thunderstorms this week, ahead of storm season's official start on October 1

Thunderstorms were expected to hit on Tuesday evening and the forecast shows the unsettled weather could continue for the next couple of days.

State Emergency Service (SES) Superintendent Mitch Parker said volunteer units across the New England North West are geared up and have asked the community to do the same.

"Be vigilant, be proactive, and listen to any information that is disseminated," he said.

"We really want people to be very conscious of their environmental surroundings."

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The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) forecast shows a 100 per cent chance of rain on Wednesday, with up to 30mm expected to be dumped on Tamworth, and a possible thunderstorm in the evening.

Thursday could bring a severe thunderstorm and more rain, and Friday is expected to be wet as well.

Superintendent Parker warned catchments are already wet, dams full and rivers flowing well across the region so there's no "buffer" during heavy rain events.

He said residents need to be prepared for the possibility of minor floods developing in the coming days and urged them to keep an eye on warnings from the SES and the BoM as the situation is closely monitored.

Storms are nothing new for Tamworth but the volunteers aren't in the exact same boat this year amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"The current COVID-19 environment will add another challenging factor however community safety will always be our priority," Superintendent Parker said.

The official storm season kicks off on Friday, October 1, and continues through to March.

"We have seen a lot of activity over the past 12 months with rain and storms and the information we have from the bureau right now is that it's going to continue right up until Christmas," Superintendent Parker said.

Find storm preparation resources on the SES website.

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