Two women were taken to St Vincent’s Hospital after a large fig tree fell on them in Hyde Park.
Two women were taken to St Vincent’s Hospital after a large fig tree fell on them in Hyde Park.
By Penry Buckley
Strong winds have torn awnings from shopfronts, 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.
Wind speeds as high as 120km/h were recorded in Sydney on Friday, with the SES responding to about 2100 requests for assistance.
SES spokesman Andrew Edmunds said a large number of calls concerned fallen trees, which led to more than 1000 requests for help on Friday. In West Pymble, fallen trees damaged gas mains.
Awnings were also ripped from shopfronts and onto traffic on Victoria Road in Drummoyne, closing citybound lanes, which have since reopened. One man believed to be in his 60s was treated for minor injuries at the scene.
Two women were taken 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.
At the Sydney Cricket Ground, which was hosting a Big Bash League game between the Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder, part of the Bill O’Reilly grandstand roof fell. Spectators were evacuated and provided seating in another grandstand.
“Further inspections are underway. The safety of our patrons remains our number one priority,” said a spokesperson for Venues NSW.
The damaging winds followed a severe thunderstorm on Wednesday that brought widespread destruction to Sydney and left 200,000 people across NSW without power.
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Jordan Notara said Wednesday’s rainfall had been followed by gale-force winds on Friday, with speeds as high as 120km/h recorded at Wattamolla in the Royal National Park, and 93km/h at Manly.
“The story is one of strong winds and large surf, so significant wave height from the Sydney offshore buoy reaching upwards of five metres.”
Manly Ferries were running at a reduced frequency due to the weather conditions in the harbour.
The bureau said the damaging winds would continue into Friday evening before weakening on Saturday morning.
The SES has 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.
After a reprieve for commuters following a suspension of industrial action on Thursday evening, the winds also caused disruptions and delays on Sydney’s rail network.
A tree blocked the tracks at St Peters, briefly suspending services on the T4 and South Coast lines.
Light rail services between Lewisham West and Dulwich Hill on the L1 line also resumed after a stoppage caused by a fallen tree branch at Waratah Mills.
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