Yesterday marked the ninth straight day the Bureau of Metrology has issued a storm warning for the Hunter region but the atmospheric conditions driving these systems could weaken today.

“It’s very unusual,” WeatherWatch meteorologist Don White said.

“Normally in December you would average three or four storms for the month.”

A broad inland trough has ­driven the storms, fed by humid air, from the north-east as the days warm up.

The trough has refused to budge and delivered varying falls of rain and spectacular lightning shows.

“Today will probably be the last of it for a few days,” Mr White said.  “We’ll possibly see more activity later this week.”

The storms have delivered 70mm so far this month in Maitland.

Twenty-eight millimetres of that fell last Thursday and a further 24mm on Saturday.

But of course some areas have had less rain than others.

Tocal recorded 57mm in the first eight days of the month, 14mm last Thursday and 29mm on Saturday.

The storms have caused significant damage in some areas, but Maitland has escaped the worst of it.

In the past three days the State Emergency Service has fielded 1259 calls for assistance statewide.

More than 100 calls were placed in the Hunter Region which spans Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens and Murrurundi.

The SES has responded to only 10 calls in Maitland.

“Considering the heavy falls, we’ve been a bit lucky,” Lower Hunter SES community engagement co-ordinator Amanda Hyde said. “That number is a bit less than we expected.”

Ms Hyde said people should remain alert and prepare their homes if they hadn’t already.

“It’s a good time to check gutters to make sure they’re not blocked and look for broken tiles that will leak,” she said.

“People should also look for overhanging branches.”

For more tips on storm preparation visit www.stormsafe.com.au

For emergency help in floods and storms call 132 500.