Wild weather: trees down, roofs torn off, power out
Thousands of homes remain without power as emergency services worked through the night to repair homes damaged by severe winds that wreaked havoc across Sydney.
NSW
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- Search for chopper carrying five people underway near Newcastle
- Homes razed, firefighter critically hurt as bushfires rage in NSW
Thousands of residents in western Sydney and surrounding areas are without power after strong winds whipped through the region.
NSW Fire & Rescue had at least 50 trucks across Sydney on Friday night, responding to emergency incidents due to the wild weather.
Four people were taken to hospital after a large gumtree fell on to five cars on the Hume Highway at Warwick Farm.
One woman is in a serious condition while three men are stable with minor injuries. All four patients are being treated at Liverpool Hospital.
Severe winds swept across Sydney late yesterday, bringing an end to a summery day which saw the mercury rise to 29 degrees in the city and 31 in the west.
At about 6.30pm last night, police were advised of an aircraft fading off the radar about in the Port Stephens area. Police confirmed this morning a search is underway for a privately owned helicopter which went missing in the destructive winds with five people on board.
In Sydney’s west, emergency services responded to reports of a roof that came off an apartment building in Mount Druitt, leaving sections of the roof on the road.
“It looks like the top of the building is exposed and one large part is hanging precariously off the side,” said Joanne, a caller to 2GB, who witnessed the damage.
In Alexandria in the inner west, NSW Fire & Rescue attended to reports of an iron roof coming off a two-storey unit block on Botany Road.
More than 40,000 people were left without power in western and northwestern Sydney due to the winds and there were more than 230 electrical hazards caused by trees and branches contacting powerlines.
Our crews are working to safely restore power to over 37,000 customers due to the strong winds which have damaged powerlines across a broad area. Residents in affected areas should stay at least 8 metres away from fallen powerlines & report them at https://t.co/n1Q6uJSQG9.
— Endeavour Energy (@endeavourenergy) September 6, 2019
Meanwhile three properties were destroyed as a devastating fire tore through Tenterfield in northern NSW.
Strong winds caused embers from a bush fire on the outskirts of the town to ignite five separate fires around the small town, causing mass evacuations of residents.
More than 2000 homes lost power in the region as the fire burned out of control.
“Eight fire trucks are in attendance, assisting the Rural Fire Service,” said Superintendent Rob Jansen from NSW Fire & Rescue.
“All residents have been accounted for at this stage.”
An RFS firefighter was taken to Tenterfield Hospital suffering from burns to his face, hands and airways after fighting the fire south of the Tenterfield township. He was flown to Sydney for specialist burns treatment.
A fire burning out of control near Lithgow in the state’s central west has been downgraded from emergency level to Watch and Act after earlier threatening properties.
A severe fire danger warning is in place for the greater Sydney region, the Hunter, the far north coast, the central ranges and the northwest of the state. Sydneysiders are banned from lighting fires in the open, including incinerators and BBQs that burn wood, charcoal or heat beads.
Welding, grinding, soldering or gas cutting is also banned in the open. “There’s a lot of fuel on the ground,” Fire and Rescue NSW Acting Superintendent Rob Jansen told AAP.
“Any fires, particularly with a strong wind behind them, will run really quickly and people can get caught out.
“Be vigilant, be careful in what activities you undertake particularly in these fire ban weather.” Warialda in the state’s northwest was expected to reach 34C on Friday while the temperature was forecast to hit 33C in Wauchope and Scone was expecting 30C. Sydney is set to peak at 29C with strong winds tipped throughout the afternoon.