Sydney: A severe storm struck New South Wales (NSW), Australia, on Sunday night, resulting in significant property damage, the cancellation of over 20 flights, and the dislodging of a section of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Winds exceeding 100 km/h and heavy rainfall affected Sydney and much of the state, leading to widespread power outages. The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has warned of more intense thunderstorms expected in northeast NSW on Monday.
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) reported responding to 278 incidents statewide, with 81 occurring in Sydney alone. In the small town of Carinda, located nearly 500 km northwest of Sydney, three commercial buildings were destroyed as winds reached over 150 km/h.
A one-square-meter concrete and steel road plate was dislodged from the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the storm, damaging 25 vehicles and causing traffic disruptions. NSW Transport Secretary Josh Murray stated that the government would cover the repair costs for the affected cars. He described the situation as a “nightmare” and apologized to those impacted by the delays, which lasted about two hours.
In addition, over 20 flights arriving in Sydney were canceled, while flights from Qatar and Fiji were rerouted to Brisbane.