News

Editors note: Vision available here: https://spaces.hightail.com/space/PjvvBWiDUh and at https://spaces.hightail.com/space/h5IAOT6Lq9

NSW State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers have responded to 1286 incidents since severe and destructive winds struck parts of NSW.

Yesterday, 28 August, crews were kept busy with 1100 incidents including fallen trees and powerlines, damaged roofs and properties.

Roads were cut in many areas as the clean up continued. Today volunteers still have around 300 incidents outstanding, which will be addressed during the day.

The Illawarra region has borne the brunt of the damaging winds, with multiple incidents of strong wind gusts dislodging roof tiles and windows from buildings onto main thoroughfares and footpaths prompting road closures.

A severe weather warning has been issued by the Bureau of Meteorology, with damaging winds expected to redevelop in eastern and south eastern parts of the state from tonight into Friday.

Damaging winds averaging 60 to 70 km/h with peak gusts in excess of 90 km/h are possible from late Thursday evening for the Snowy Mountains. For areas above 1900m damaging winds may average 80 to 90 km/h with peak gusts of around 125 km/h. Winds are expected to ease during Friday afternoon.

For eastern parts of the state including the Illawarra and Tablelands, damaging winds averaging 60 to 70 km/h with peak gusts of around 100 km/h are possible from Friday morning, easing during Friday evening.

Locations which may be affected include Wollongong, Nowra, Bowral, Batemans Bay, Katoomba and Goulburn.

The NSW SES advises that people should:

• Move vehicles under cover or away from trees.
• Secure or put away loose items around your house, yard and balcony.
• Keep at least 8 metres away from fallen power lines or objects that may be energised, such as fences.
• Trees that have been damaged by fire are likely to be more unstable and more likely to fall.
• Report fallen power lines to either Ausgrid (131 388), Endeavour Energy (131 003), Essential Energy (132 080) or Evoenergy (131 093) as shown on your power bill.
• Stay vigilant and monitor conditions. Note that the landscape may have changed following bushfires.
• For emergency help in floods and storms, ring your local SES Unit on 132 500.

Incidents by zone:

South Eastern Zone: 620
Metro Zone: 442
North Eastern Zone: 2
North Western Zone: 5
Northern Zone: 34
Southern Zone: 2
Western Zone: 4
State Headquarters: 1