NSW and ACT winds of up to 100km/h leave thousands without power

SES workers were called out as strong winds left thousands of homes and businesses in NSW and the ACT without power. Photograph: Damian Shaw/AAP

Gales hit parts of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory overnight, leaving thousands of homes without power.

More than 11,000 homes and businesses were hit by strong winds across the state. Endeavour Energy said 1,400 homes and businesses were still without power in and around Nowra after winds of up to 95km/h hit the area. There were also multiple reports of fallen trees on powerlines.

The roof of Cootamundra high school was ripped off by high winds.

A NSW State Emergency Service duty operations officer, Jason Simms, said crews had been called to about 400 jobs across the state in the past 24 hours owing to winds reaching 100km/h, with the Illawarra and south coast areas the worst hit.
“There were trees and branches down, some causing damage to cars and some roads blocked by trees that were blown over,” Simms said.

The ACT SES received more than 130 calls for help.

In Canberra, the suburbs of Downer, Dickson, Ainslie, Kambah, Watson and Waramanga were left without power after winds of up to 100km/h toppled trees and brought down powerlines. Work was continuing to restore power to Giralang, Lyneham and Aranda.

A Bureau of Meteorology’s severe weather warning was cancelled on Wednesday morning, but strong and gale-force marine wind warnings are in place from the Eden coast up to the Macquarie coast.

In the state’s Riverina area, Cootamundra high school was left without a roof after gales tore it off.