Shopping centre roof collapses releasing a deluge of water as a huge storm hammers Australia’s east coast with hail, damaging winds and torrential rain
- A roof has collapsed at a major shopping centre at Penrith in Sydney’s west
- Heavy rainfall caused the roof to cave at Penrith HomeCo on Tuesday afternoon
- Stormbound Sydney is hit by giant hail, torrential rain and damaging winds
- Huge swathe of New South Wales is being pelted by the severe thunderstorms
- The area stretches south from Inverell to Bega on the coast and west to Orange
A roof has collapsed at a busy shopping centre as severe thunderstorms and heavy rain battered Australia’s east coast.
Dramatic footage uploaded to TikTok on Tuesday afternoon, shows the moment shoppers run for cover as the roof caved in at Penrith HomeCo shopping centre.
Shoppers and retail workers had to be evacuated from the western Sydney shopping centre while fire rescue crews attended the scene.
Heavy rainfall has caused a roof collapse at Penrith HomeCo shopping centre in Sydney’s west on Tuesday
Retail worker Georgia Davis told Daily Mail Australia staff were sweeping rainwater from the entrance when the roof suddenly collapsed from the downpour.
‘I finished my shift and was leaving and all this water was coming in through the doors,’ she said.
‘There were workers mopping up all the water so people could walk in and out and as I was filming the whole roof just basically collapsed.
‘No one was injured but it was still pretty scary.’
Sydney is being smashed by giant hail, as damaging winds and heavy rainfall strike NSW, Queensland, and parts of Victoria.
Shoppers were evacuated and fire crews attended the scene after the roof caved in at Penrith HomeCo shopping centre
Damaging winds and heavy rainfall sweeps through Sydney Harbour on Tuesday (pictured)
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds and large hailstones
Inverell, in northern NSW, to Bega on the south coast and as far west as Orange are being blasted by high winds and large hailstones in the deluge.
Coastal regions north of Wollongong may dodge the worst of the storms but Sydney’s west and CBD are already being hit by the massive thunderstorm.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned of dangerous intense storms hitting the Blue Mountains, the Hunter Valley and Wollongong, with Penrith next.
Chifley Dam, south of Bathurst, saw torrential rain dump almost 25mm in just 30 minutes, while Gunnedah airport reported winds of up to 83km/h.
‘Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area over the next several hours,’ said the Bureau of Meteorology on Tuesday afternoon.
Sydney is being smashed by giant hail as damaging winds and heavy rainfall strike Australia’s east coast (pictured)
The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of dangerous intense storms currently hitting the Blue Mountains, the Hunter Valley and Wollongong, with Penrith next (pictured)
A huge swathe of New South Wales stretching from near Queensland almost down to the Victoria border is in the firing line (pictured)
‘Locations which may be affected include Wollongong, Nowra, Batemans Bay, Orange, Tamworth and Lightning Ridge.’
The State Emergency Service warned locals to move their cars under cover or away from trees and to secure loose items around the house, yard and balcony.
Residents are also being told to keep clear of creeks and storm drains and not to walk, ride a bike or drive through flood water.
Chifley Dam, south of Bathurst, saw torrential rain dump almost 25mm in just 30 minutes, while Gunnedah airport reported winds of up to 83km/h (pictured, a woman is drenched while exercising on Sydney’s north shore)
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