Flights cancelled and trees brought down as damaging winds batter Sydney, with icy conditions and hazardous surf to follow
A burst of wild winter weather has torn across NSW, bringing down trees, cancelling flights and prompting warnings for dangerous surf, icy roads and more cold blasts to come.
NSW
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Clean-up efforts are underway across NSW after powerful winds wreaked havoc across Sydney and parts of the state overnight, downing trees, disrupting travel and triggering warnings for hazardous surf and icy road conditions.
Some parts of Sydney recorded wind gusts approaching 100km/h, with the State Emergency Service responding to more than 180 incidents.
“We’ve had trees down, roofs damaged, and power lines affected — it’s been a busy 24 hours for our crews,” an SES spokesman said on Thursday morning.
Just over 100km from Sydney’s CBD, Oberon recorded light snowfall overnight, while vision from Blackheath captured brief sleet as a cold front swept through the Central Tablelands.
The powerful front also caused flight delays and cancellations at Sydney Airport on Wednesday night, while the Bureau of Meteorology issued gale and strong wind warnings along large stretches of the NSW coastline.
A Hazardous Surf Warning remains in place for the Sydney, Hunter, and Macquarie coasts, with the Bureau warning conditions will be dangerous for rock fishing, swimming and surfing.
“Large and powerful surf conditions are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities,” the Bureau said.
More wintry weather is forecast for the weekend, with light showers possible across Sydney from Friday to Sunday and daytime temperatures hovering between 16C and 19C.
In the Central Tablelands, the SES in Oberon has warned of snow, wind gusts up to 40km/h, and sub-zero wind chills.
“We have a very cold, snowy and windy winter system passing through today and tonight,” Oberon SES posted online.
“Max temps reaching 4 degrees with strong winds ... take extreme care on our roads.”
Motorists in alpine and inland regions are urged to avoid unnecessary travel and respect road closures, with the SES reminding residents it “is not a free towing service”.
In Sydney, Friday will bring a top of 17C, with a medium chance of showers along the coast and cold morning conditions in the west, where frost is possible.
Looking ahead to the weekend Saturday has a top of 18C, partly cloudy, 40 per cent chance of a shower, particularly in coastal areas.
Sunday has a top of 19C, light winds and another slight chance of showers.
UV levels will remain low across all days, with no sun protection recommended.
The SES urges residents to secure loose items, avoid coastal rock platforms, and call 132 500 for assistance during storms. In emergencies, call 000.
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