Storms Claim โขLife,โฃ Leave 117,000 Without Power Across NSW
Sydney,โ NSW โฃ – A โman isโ dead and โover 117,000 properties areโ without power as severe thunderstorms swept across โขSydney and western New South wales on Thursday evening. The storms broughtโ damaging winds, heavy rainfall, and widespread disruption, occurring on the same day as catastrophic fire conditions gripped other โpartsโ ofโ the state.
The โฃsevere โฃweather systemโฃ impacted areas from the hunter region to the Mid North Coastโข and as far north as the โNorthern Rivers, with wind gusts reaching 98km/h at โขMerriwa and 96km/h โat Taree Airport. Ausgrid reported over 117,000 customers whereโฃ without power as of 9:30pm AEDT, with crews โคworking โto restoreโข supply. The fatality occurred in Doonside,near Sydney’s Blacktown,where a tree fell onto a fence.
A severe thunderstorm warning remains in placeโข for Lismore,Grafton,Tenterfield,Tweed Heads,Murwillumbah โand Byron Bay as of 9:15pm AEDT. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warned that this summer weather โhas “come in earlyโฃ and hard.”โ
The storms added โฃto aโฃ challenging day โฃfor NSW, with total fire bansโข in place in 11 โฃRural Fire service (RFS) districts and a catastrophicโ fire danger declared for the lower central west plains. RFS โDeputy Commissioner Ben Millington stated that warm conditionsโฃ are expected to continue through toโฃ Sunday, withโ further Total Fire Bans โpossible.