Major Storm System Batters New South Wales
A powerful series of severe storms hammered New South Wales on Wednesday, leaving a trail of destruction, one man dead, and thousands of residents without power. The intense weather system brought significant winds and heavy rain, causing widespread disruption across the state, particularly in the Sydney region.
Emergency Services Overwhelmed with Calls
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) was inundated with nearly 2,300 calls for assistance in the 24-hour period leading up to 5am on Thursday morning. The suburb of Blacktown in Sydney emerged as the epicentre of the damage, with emergency crews attending to more than 350 storm-related jobs in that area alone.
Drone footage from the aftermath vividly illustrated the storm's ferocity, showing a massive gum tree that had been uprooted and crushed a car. This single image encapsulated the scale of the damage inflicted upon properties and infrastructure.
Destructive Winds and Widespread Fallen Trees
The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed that significant winds were recorded across NSW. The most powerful gusts reached 119km/h at Nobbys Head, with other areas like Orange and Dubbo experiencing gusts of 109km/h. The storm's impact extended into southern Queensland, where Dalby recorded gusts topping 109km/h and Goondiwindi saw 107km/h winds.
A direct consequence of these violent winds was the large number of trees brought down across Sydney, western NSW, and the Central Coast. This led to significant transport disruptions, including major delays on the Sydney train network, and left many homes and businesses without electricity.
The community is now facing a substantial clean-up operation as recovery efforts continue in the wake of one of the most severe storm events to hit the region this year.
