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NSW weather: Storm hits Hunter and Central Coast, BOM predicts heavy rainfall and winds

Monday February 20, 2017 - 00:06 EDT
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SES volunteers received more than 1,300 call-outs on Saturday. - ABC licensed

Severe thunderstorms that ravaged the Hunter region and the Central Coast of New South Wales are over, the Bureau of Meteorology says, but Ausgrid and SES volunteers are still working to repair the damage.

Another storm hit the Hunter region and the Central Coast of New South Wales after two days of

Severe thunderstorms caused power outages, and the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) warned heavy rainfall, large hailstones and damaging winds could be expected throughout Sunday afternoon.

BoM cancelled its severe thunderstorm warning at 6:46pm on Sunday (AEDT).

The Bureau has advised people to stay clear of fallen power lines, keep clear of creeks and storm drains, and avoid travelling through floodwaters.



More than 2,300 SES calls since Friday

Ausgrid said it was working to restore power to 900 homes on the Central Coast and in Sydney, some of which.

Crews are also on the way to restore power to about 700 homes on Macmasters Beach.



State Emergency Services (SES) volunteers received more than 2,300 requests for assistance across Sydney Metro and Sydney North-West areas since storms initially hit on Friday.

The NSW Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue NSW will be assisting SES, with 51 teams set to continue clean-up efforts on Monday.

Most of the jobs involve repairing leaking roofs, fixing broken windows and clearing fallen trees and powerlines.

Emergency services are advising residents to storm-proof their homes by clearing their gutters and securing outdoor furniture when safe to do so.

'Biggest hail I've ever seen'

North-west of Sydney bore the brunt of Saturday's storm.

"Those storm cells that have come through have impacted heavily around the Kellyville, Rouse Hill and Castle Hill area," said Ms Pritchard.

Three women, aged in their 60s, were sitting on a park bench at Corbett Gardens in Bowral when they were struck by a bolt of lightning.

They have been taken to hospital, with one woman suffering serious burns to her body and the other two treated for shock.

People took to social media to share photos of large hail, which damaged several cars and was described by one Twitter user as the "biggest hail I've ever seen".


- ABC

© ABC 2017

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NSW weather: Storm hits Hunter and Central Coast, BOM predicts heavy rainfall and winds

00:06 EDT

Severe thunderstorms that ravaged the Hunter region and the Central Coast of New South Wales are over, the Bureau of Meteorology says, but Ausgrid and SES volunteers are still working to repair the damage.