‘Mini tsunami’ hits North Avoca Beach as strong winds batter Sydney

With the sun emerging, shaken North Avoca locals are surveying the destruction wreaked by a king tide, finding sand and debris up to their doors. See the video.

Wild and dangerous surf thrashed the east coast on the weekend, whipping up six-metre waves in Sydney and wreaking havoc on coastal suburbs where the beach was literally washed into the front doors of waterfront houses.

Waves crashed through properties on Central Coast and Sydney beaches, saturating beachfront homes and damaging front lawns and outdoor furniture.

A deep-low pressure system over the Tasman Sea saw fierce conditions flog most of the coast while waves reached 5.6 metres on Sunday morning.

“The stronger the wind is blowing over the ocean, and the longer it blows, the bigger the waves,” BOM Senior Meteorologist Neale Frazer said.

“(It) whipped up all the waves across the coast (but) there’s good news because it’s moved on to the Bass Strait and the waves seemed to have dropped.”

A man cleans up and arranges sandbags in front of his house at Avoca Beach on the Central Coast on Sunday. Picture: Richard Dobson

Paired with a king tide, the severe weather conditions punished homes across the coast.

Avoca residents emerged from their homes on Sunday morning to clean up thick piles of sand and debris that had been dumped on their beachfront properties from Saturday’s king tide.

Long-time local Jack Leary had never seen anything like it before.

Jack Leary at his Avoca Beach home where the king tide brought sand all the way up to the front door. Picture: Richard Dobson

He said it was a freaky ordeal to watch as metre-high waves pushed heavy wooden furniture to the other side of the lawn and ripped up concrete tiles with great force.

“There’ve been a few other scary times, like in 2016, but nowhere near as scary as this,” he told The Daily Telegraph.

“The waves busted over us, and I had to duck and run back to the deck.

The king tide wiping out properties at North Avoca on Saturday.

“I moved my car up the street. It was scary.”

Mr Leary couldn’t believe how large the waves were as they suddenly came tearing through the front of his home, causing panicked onlookers to flee.

“There were these women … they were coming towards us, and they were screaming,” he said.

“Another woman injured her leg and the lifeguards had to come and rescue her in one of the boats.”

BOM said the radar to measure waves “dropped out” a few times over the weekend, but they were confident from Sunday’s reading that the waves would have reached a “significant” height of six metres or above.

Although the waves aren’t expected to peak again this week, more rain is forecast after Tuesday.

“We’re fairly confident we’ll see some showers coming back, maybe late Tuesday,” Senior meteorologist Frazer said.

“The next couple of days will be mid to high 20s but after that, it will be back to lows 20s. It could be quite wet.”

Renee Emerson, who posted the video of the ‘mini-tsunami’ swamping the shores on Saturday, described the tide as “the worst we have seen”.

In a statement the State Emergency Service, which was on the scene at Avoca on Saturday, asked people to avoid the region’s beaches.

“We are asking people to avoid low lying coastal areas and beaches (on Saturday) with higher than normal tides and water inundation,” the statement said.

Bystanders at North Avoca were taken by surprise as the king tide rolled in.

“Unexpected waves can easily knock you off your feet and driving through these waters can increase inundation into homes nearby.

“Please do not go sightseeing, many local roads are closed and it is not safe to enter these areas.”

Two people were hospitalised — one with possible spinal injuries — after being pulled from the surf at Terrigal on Saturday.

Five ambulances and the Toll Ambulance Rescue Helicopter responded to reports of a group of people being washed out by the surf earlier on Saturday.

The group of five were rescued and two were taken to Gosford Hospital in a stable condition after the near drowning.

Beachfront properties were struck by the “mini tsunami”, which washed outdoor furniture out to sea.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued severe weather warnings for dangerous winds from Sydney down to the Victorian border.

Abnormally high tides and massive waves up to 5m high are being recorded across the NSW coast, and the BoM has warned of localised damage and coastal erosion throughout the weekend, with wild winds leaving Bondi Beach battered.

The BoM warned the coast could experience “localised damage and coastal erosion” as the winds are expected to hit speeds of up to 100km/h.

“Beach conditions, particularly along exposed south-facing beaches, could be dangerous and people should stay well away from the surf and surf-exposed areas,” BOM said in a statement on Saturday morning.

“Locations which may be affected include Port Macquarie, Taree, Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong and Batemans Bay.”

Sorry but unprecedented won’t cut it anymore. #bondibeachpic.twitter.com/UbYLUe6NTt

— caroline pegram (@caroline_pegram) April 2, 2022

The combination of gusty winds, dangerous swells and low visibility are making for extremely dangerous conditions at NSW beaches, and people should stay well away from the surf.

“People should consider staying out of the water and avoid walking near surf-exposed areas,” the warning advised.

“Rock fishers should avoid coastal rock platforms exposed to the ocean and seek a safe location that is sheltered from the surf.

“Boaters planning to cross shallow water and ocean bars should consider changing or delaying their voyage. Boaters already on the water should carry the appropriate safety equipment and wear a lifejacket. Boaters should remember to log on with their local Marine Rescue radio base, via VHF Radio or the Marine Rescue APP, and consider their safety management plan.”

David Targett in his flooded front yard at Terrigal Beach. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

At nearby Terrigal, David Targett’s yard was flooded by a freak wave.

“It was very close to coming into the house so we were lucky,” Mr Targett said.

“It will be a big clean-up, though, with all the rubbish and debris that washed in.

“Would you believe it, I caught a fish in my own yard and had to release him into the ocean.”

The wild weather is expected to ease by Sunday with Sydneysiders forecast to be treated to some sun and temperatures peaking at 26C.

Wild winds capsize sailing boat

Gale force winds off Sydney’s coast with gusts up to 100km/h have caused chaos, with a large-scale search instigated after reports a boat had capsized off the coast of the eastern suburbs.

The air and water search was initiated at 8.45am on Saturday over fears someone was missing with the boat but a couple of hours later, a man went to Paddington Police Station to alert officers it was his vessel.

A number of helicopters were searching the coast for anyone who may have been thrown into the sea when a boat capsized off Bronte. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

The man told police the last time he saw his boat it was moored at Gordons Bay but the half-submerged craft was found off Bronte Beach.

“Seas off Sydney’s eastern suburbs have been searched this morning after a report that a sailing boat had capsized and a person was feared to be in the water,” a police statement said earlier on Saturday.

NSW Police said there has been no official reports of people missing and called off the search just before 11am after the boat owner came forward.

Police are also investigating reports of a number of dinghies that may have slipped their moorings in the turbulent swell and were swept out to sea.