Sydney has been plunged into "dystopic" darkness as a smoke haze and thunderstorm clouds combined to block out the setting sun.
The city was eerily dark by 5pm on Friday ahead of thunderstorms which travelled towards the coast from western Sydney.
Storm clouds mixed with lingering smoke from NSW bushfires that had settled across the city - including from one blaze at nearby Gospers Mountain - reducing the effects of the setting sun, a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman told AAP.
Wet and stormy weather is seen around Sydney's CBD on Friday. Source: AAP
"It's a combination of all these," the spokesman said.
Storms were expected to continue throughout Friday evening.
Sydneysiders took to social media to share their surprise at the changing weather.
One user posted, "Sydney is looking so dark and dreary for 4:50 pm in the afternoon, in summer. Bushfire smoke mixed with grey clouds is just depressing".
"Whoever turned out the lights in Sydney, please turn them back on - some of us are trying to read," another wrote.
While others shared images of the early darkness.
