Damaging winds uproot trees, down powerlines across Sydney

Strong winds have downed power lines and uprooted trees across Sydney, including in the CBD, where two people were injured after a large fig fell on them in Hyde Park.

Two women were transported with minor injuries to St Vincent’s Hospital after the tree on Elizabeth Street fell on them about 3.15pm on Friday, a spokesman for NSW Ambulance said.

Elsewhere in greater Sydney, the SES responded to about 2100 requests for assistance and was yet to complete about 600.

SES spokesman Andrew Edmunds said a large number of calls had concerned fallen trees, including numerous incidents where trees had fallen on homes in Mona Vale. In West Pymble, fallen trees uprooted gas mains. Awnings were also ripped from shopfronts and onto traffic on Victoria Road in Drummoyne.

“We’ve seen winds of only around 35 to 50km/h, but it’s been enough to bring down a significant number of trees right across the metro area,” Edmunds said.

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The damaging winds followed a severe thunderstorm on Wednesday that brought widespread destruction to Sydney and left 200,000 people across NSW without power.

Edmunds said that statewide about 55,000 properties were still without power on Friday. A spokeswoman for Ausgrid said power had been restored to most customers who lost it on Wednesday.

However, another 30,000 had been affected during Friday afternoon’s wild weather.