Massive hail, torrential rains hit Sydney, severe storm rips through
A summer storm hit parts of western Sydney and the Southern Highlands on Tuesday night, bringing heavy winds, rain and hail to suburbs.
The inclement weather caused state emergency services to respond to 160 incidents statewide, 70 of them from Penrith and Blacktown.
The Camden area took the brunt of one storm front just after 8pm. The rapids turned the streets into impromptu rivers, turning the grass white under a blanket of hail.
Golf-ball-sized hail fell in the southwestern suburbs of Razorback and Douglas Park.
Emergency services responded to three calls for help after the vehicle was caught in the flood waters, all of whom were rescued unharmed.
New South Wales was hit by an estimated 30,000 lightning strikes from the south coast to Sydney to the Hunter Valley.
Ashleigh Pearson, SES’ duty coordinator, said he had witnessed a severe storm hitting Sydney since the warning was issued late Tuesday afternoon.
SES troops rushed to the rescue after receiving reports of a vehicle caught in floodwaters on Cox Avenue in Kingswood.
“By the time the troops got there, there were several other vehicles in the same flood,” Pearson said.
“Everyone is out and safe.”
Orangeville resident Ken Rudd said it looked like a “little tornado” hit the MacArthur area when the storm rolled.
“I could see the sky getting bigger this afternoon. It just looked different. Boy has never been,” he said.
“It was windy and quite a shock. I didn’t even look out to see the mess. It was wild.”
Rudd has lived in the area all his life, and the 75-year-old said it was the worst storm he could remember.
“Hail is raining down on the lawn, and branches and leaves are scattered here and there,” he said.
“We stood out on the verandah, which had a tin roof and was so noisy that it turned out to be hail and brought it to our attention.”
Statewide storm cells simultaneously destroyed parts of the Mossvale and Bury regions of the Southern Highlands, Penrith and the Hunter Valley of western Sydney.
Sydney citizens will breathe a sigh of relief as the situation is expected to ease dramatically through Wednesday.
The BOM says showers are possible this evening and thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. East to northeast winds at 15-25 km/h in the early afternoon, then weaken overnight.
Daytime highs in Australia reach 32 degrees Celsius, with a small chance of afternoon and evening showers.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/large-hail-heavy-rain-hits-sydney-as-severe-storms-roll-through/news-story/7c0a9465d23246bb7825da35cbb07866 Massive hail, torrential rains hit Sydney, severe storm rips through