Storm hits Sydney, causing major power outages, fallen trees, traffic problems

A storm that hit Sydney on Saturday night cut power to over 60,000 homes and businesses in Sydney, causing significant disruption.

Drivers were asked to exercise caution as traffic lights at several intersections were out of power and some of the main tunnels connecting Sydney’s northern and western suburbs were closed.

Some trains stopped running due to fallen trees on the tracks, causing delays across the network.

Sydney Airport recorded gusts of up to 93 km/h, while Molineux Point and Moss Vale recorded gusts of up to 106 km/h.

The storm weakened midway through the evening and the Bureau of Meteorology confirmed the immediate threat had passed at 9:05pm Sydney time.

However, the agency said it will continue to monitor the situation and issue further warnings if necessary.

Power companies worked to repair downed power lines as the storm subsided. Endeavor Energy said the main area affected was in the northwest of the city.

Fire and Rescue NSW said it was responding to a number of incidents, including power lines and trees downed and people trapped in lifts across the Sydney metropolitan area.

At Barangaroo, a sail was torn from a boat at the end of a SailGP sailing event, causing minor injuries to several people.

Several removable ones were also displaced or damaged in high winds, so the area was evacuated.

Event organizers said “as far as we know” no one was seriously injured in the incident, but announced Sunday’s race event would be cancelled.