Wild storms hit New South Wales
More then 3,000 homes are without power and 20 sustained damage after violent storms struck a large area of New South Wales, Australia.
Torrential rain and high winds lashed the NSW north coast with thousands of homes loosing power in northwest Sydney due to severe lightning. The blackouts affected traffic lights in the city causing road chaos for a time. Large hailstones and gusty winds battered Byron Bay, Grafton and Dunoon damaging cars and buildings.
Near the town of Lismore in northern NSW, a rare tornado was spawned by the severe storm system. It ripped through power lines and electricity substations giving rise to blackouts across the town. Around 20 houses were badly damaged, with 2 completely loosing their roofs. The local church and school also suffered significant damage.
The intense storm system has now moved away from the mainland and over the Tasman Sea. Clean up operations are now underway in the wake of the storms with crews working around the clock to restore power to hundreds of homes.
