In New South Wales, over 100,000 homes and businesses are still without electricity following a violent storm that swept across the region. The severe weather, which resulted in one fatality and caused extensive damage, disrupted the afternoon commute and left many areas in chaos.

The state had initially been put on high alert for extreme heat and winds, exacerbated by dry conditions, with warnings of a catastrophic fire risk, the first since 2023. However, the situation intensified as a series of storms battered Sydney, the Hunter region, the Central Coast, and areas further north.

Reports of destructive wind gusts exceeding 100 km/h emerged from various locations stretching from the Hunter Valley to Sydney and inland areas, leading to trees toppling onto power lines and vehicles.

Tragically, a 76-year-old man lost his life when a tree fell on him at a property on Glenworth Valley Road on the Central Coast. Emergency responders arrived around 1:30 p.m. but were unable to save him.

The incident coincided with severe thunderstorms that lashed through Sydney and surrounding areas, affecting Richmond, Camden, Campbelltown, and Penrith in the early afternoon. The storm warnings extended to regions such as Tamworth, Bourke, Scone, Walgett, and Coonabarabran.

At approximately 1 p.m., emergency services were also called to North St Marys on Kurrajong Road, where a large gum tree had crashed onto a house. Inside, a woman and her baby were present but fortunately unharmed.

About 1pm, emergency crews also responded to a large gum tree falling onto a house on Kurrajong Road at North St Marys, where a woman and her baby were inside.

There were no injuries, and they were taken to Nepean Hospital for mandatory testing.

“She was just very shaken up, she was just thankful that we were there to put her in the car,” a witness told 9News.

A 35-year-old man had to be cut free after being trapped under a branch while camping in Orange.

A car roof was flattened by a falling tree at Cambridge Park in western Sydney but no one was injured.

The main street of Kurri Kurri, north-west of Newcastle, was left looking like a disaster zone.

The State Emergency Service (SES) had received reports of more than 1145 incidents by 3.30pm.

“These incidents relate mainly to trees taking down power lines and also damaging roofs,” NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Sean Kearns said.

“As people drive home, you may come across delays due to trees across roads as they’re getting cleared.”

He said at least six roofs were completely blown off houses in the small village of Nevertire, west of Dubbo, and another suffered partial wall collapses after being struck by lightning. 

The Bureau of Meteorology cancelled severe thunderstorm warnings about 7.30pm for all but the north-east of the state, where the chance of damaging winds remained late into the night.

The Northern Rivers and parts of Mid North Coast, Northern Tablelands and North West Slopes and Plains Forecast Districts were affected.

Afternoon commute disrupted

The rail system also struggled, with major impacts on the North Shore, Western and Blue Mountains lines.

Long lines and huge crowds of commuters formed as trains were halted between Parramatta, Richmond and St Mary’s after the power supply was knocked out at various locations.

Transport for NSW brought in replacement buses but the delays continued well into the night.

Light rail services between Carlingford and Rosehill were also halted due to fallen overhead wires near Carlingford. 

Power outages remained late into the night, with many residents warned the lights wouldn’t be coming back on until the morning.

At 10.30pm, Endeavour Energy had more than 47,000 customers without power and Ausgrid was working to reconnect more than 22,000. The latest update from Essential Energy, at 5pm, showed 39,000 homes and businesses across regional NSW without power.

Endeavour said the damage to its network was mainly through western Sydney, including Blacktown, Rooty Hill, Doonside and Kings Park.

“Our emergency teams continue to work non-stop to carry out essential repairs however, due to a total fire ban today we’re not permitted to use our automated processes to quickly restore power and must carefully inspect each area prior to reconnection,” it said, in an SMS to customers.

“We cannot guarantee that power will be restored to your property tonight.”