Thousands of Aussies embrace the Christmas season and hit Bondi Beach in very festive summer outfits
Thousands have flocked to the beaches to celebrate Christmas after wet weather almost completely ruined the occasion, and before thunderstorms are forecast to hit Australia's east coast again later this evening.
Bondi Beach in Sydney's eastern suburbs was full of families and friends celebrating Christmas Day, with many dressed in festive attire for the holidays.
Santa hats, Christmas-themed sweaters and red bikinis were spotted as far as the eye could see across the famous beach.
A Christmas tree was set up on the sand, while a woman surfed in a Santa suit with a matching hat.
Temperatures in Bondi rose to 25 degrees Celsius on Monday, with the sun emerging in time for the afternoon after a cloudy morning.
Australians and tourists enjoying Christmas Down Under have flocked to the beaches to celebrate the holidays
Bondi Beach was busy on Christmas Day
Tens of thousands of Aussies were spotted soaking up the sun on Bondi Beach
The Christmas spirit has taken over Bondi Beach in Sydney's east
Many were seen wearing Christmas-themed outfits on Monday
One woman made sure she dressed for the occasion and was seen wearing head-to-toe red in a custom-made Christmas outfit
Red swimmers were popular among those heading to Bondi for the festive season at Christmas
Two friends are seen enjoying a drink on Bondi Beach
A woman is seen soaking up the sun in front of the Christmas tree in Bondi
One man wore his Christmas jumper as he took a dip in the ocean at Bondi
Beachgoers are seen on Bondi Beach on a beautiful sunny day
Many Sydneysiders chose to wear red swimmers to celebrate the Christmas holidays
The beach was full of swimmers enjoying a dip on Monday
One man is seen wearing a Christmas outfit with a Santa headband
Beachgoers will breathe a sigh of relief when they see the sun after wild weather hit Sydney on Christmas Eve.
Sydney International Airport's tarmac was flooded with water as buses moved between terminals, with water also leaking into the baggage claim area.
The airport received 64 mm of rain in just an hour and a half. Little Bay in the east of the city was hit with 56mm in just one hour.
NSW SES responded to more than 200 incidents in just three hours on Sunday, including 21 flood rescues, with a total of 492 calls for help on Sunday.
Flash flooding was also seen in the east of the city, sweeping away cars in Kensington.
More than 17,000 residents in Victoria were without power on Sunday.
Canberra was forecast to be hit by a massive downpour on Monday, with the weather system bringing as much as 50mm.
Brisbane is also expected to experience wet and stormy conditions on Monday and Boxing Day.
Queenslanders will enjoy warm weather, with the capital set to reach 33 degrees Celsius by Christmas.
Angus Hines from the Bureau of Meteorology said the wet weather will continue for days, including the threat of heavier thunderstorms.
“There is potential in the atmosphere right now to produce these big storms,” he said.
'There is a chance of thunderstorms or possibly even severe storms for Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. All these capitals see a risk of thunderstorms on Christmas Day,” he said.
Aussies are seen in their best Christmas outfits as they flock to Bondi Beach
A woman wore a headband made from baubles for her visit to Bondi at Christmas
A woman brought a Christmas-themed hat to the beach on Monday
Two women are seen wearing reindeer ears after a day at the beach
A woman donned a Santa suit and matching hat as she hit the waves on Christmas Day
The volunteer rescuers also got into the Christmas spirit
Two British backpackers are seen in their Bondi swimmers wearing Santa hats as they celebrate Christmas Down Under
A man is seen wearing festive glasses during a trip to Bondi at Christmas
Santa hats were spotted in the sand at Bondi Beach on Monday
A group of friends enjoyed a Christmas picnic on Bondi Beach
We see a group of friends enjoying champagne while going to the beach for Christmas