Damaging winds, dust storms and small bushfires have broken out across New South Wales and one person has been injured after scaffolding collapsed in Gosford during high winds.
A severe weather warning was issued for much of the NSW coastline on Wednesday, with gusts up to 90km/h predicted. In the state’s west, the wild winds whipped up dust storms near Wilcannia, Menindee and Broken Hill.
Nine small bushfires, all at advice level, had broken out across the state as of 4.30pm on Wednesday, according to the Rural Fire Service.
Fires broke out at Bucca Road at Bucca, Greberts Road at Whiteman Creek, the Pacific Highway at Duranbah, Providence Road at Kalang, Scone Road at Copeland, Sugarloaf Road at Bendolba and at the Valley Valley Trail in Nambucca.
The largest fire, at Duranbah in the Tweed Council, was 164 hectares in size and out of control at 4.30pm.
Hazard reduction burns were also conducted at the Copeton Dam recreation area and at the Forestry HRB Johns River Plantation.
Gale warnings were issued for the Macquarie coast, Hunter coast, Sydney coast, Illawarra coast and Batemans coast, while strong wind warnings were issued for the Byron coast, Coffs coast, Eden coast and Sydney closed waters.
In Gosford on the central coast, multiple cars were crushed and one person sustained head injuries after building scaffolding collapsed about 3pm.
Alex Majchrowski, a meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, said that “much of the coastline” of the state would be hit by damaging winds.
“That is due to a vigorous cold front that is making its way through NSW at the moment,” he said. “There will be a couple more before the end of the week, so we can expect those windy conditions to continue.”
Winds would average 60 to 70km/h in affected areas, with gusts in excess of 90km/h.
Majchrowski also said the bureau had observed dust storms in western NSW but the dust “should ease by tomorrow”.
Residents should follow the advice of state emergency services, which includes moving vehicles under cover away from trees, the meteorologist said.
“It is important to know that trees that have been damaged by fire are more likely and more able to fall.”
