Small scale power outages as wild wind whips Tasmania

CLOSE to 150 homes were without power in Tasmania early today after strong winds battered the state.

CLOSE to 150 homes were without power in Tasmania early today after strong winds battered the state.

About 110 of the outages were in the Kingston, Leslie Vale and Neika area in the South, with 14 in the West Kentish and Roland area in the North.

Elsewhere, 16 homes were also blacked out between Lileah and Riana in the North-West. Three homes were without power at Acton Park near Hobart.

MORE: DAMAGING WINDS ON THE WAY

TasNetworks said it did not know when restoration of services for many areas would occur.

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In a severe weather warning issued at 2am, the Bureau of Meteorology said a strong cold front, with an associated low, was rapidly approaching Tasmania while a high to the north-east continued moving east over the Tasman Sea.

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The front would bring damaging north to north-westerly winds, averaging 60-70km/h with peak gusts in excess of 100km/h around the southern half of Tasmania and the East and West coasts, it said.

Recent gusts include 109km/h on Mt Read, 104km/h on Mt Wellington, 98km/h at Cape Sorell and 94km/h on Tasman Island.

Locations which may be affected by damaging winds include St Helens, Swansea, Strahan, New Norfolk, Hobart and Dover.

Winds are expected to shift lighter west to south-westerly once the front crosses Tasmania this morning and another high moves over the Bight.

Originally published as Small scale power outages as wild wind whips Tasmania