A small tornado swept through Ulladulla on the New South Wales South Coast on Saturday, damaging homes and bringing down trees as severe storms also hit Sydney.
The Bureau of Meteorology recorded wind gusts of up to 98km/h in the Ulladulla region, while the State Emergency Service received more than 230 calls for assistance across the state. Most of the requests came from Ulladulla.
Wishaya La Spina was in her car with her baby when the tornado passed at about 1pm. She said the weather had initially appeared manageable before the wind suddenly intensified.
“It was already storming, but nothing too severe. Then the wind just started to pick up and the next minute we spotted that little tornado,” she said.
La Spina filmed the scene on her phone as she tried to decide whether to remain in the vehicle or leave it. Her baby was crying as she sought to protect him from the risk of falling trees.
“It was pretty scary,” she said. “I was trying to protect him because you never know when a tree could come falling.”
In Sydney, severe thunderstorms struck Greater Sydney and the central business district at about 5pm. Wind gusts reached 72km/h at Sydney Harbour, while up to 30 millimetres of rain fell in less than half an hour.
The intense rainfall caused flash flooding in parts of the city. SES crews rescued two people from cars in floodwaters in Moore Park and Darlinghurst, while vehicles became stranded in Edgecliff.
A tree was struck by lightning in Merrylands as storm clouds gathered across the metropolitan area. Heavy rain also affected Sydney Olympic Park, with people seeking shelter as conditions deteriorated.
The Bureau issued a severe thunderstorm and damaging wind gust warning for central and south-eastern parts of the state, including Sydney, Wollongong, Katoomba, Penrith, Parramatta and Bowral.
