Wild weather has torn the roof from a library and two people have been taken to hospital as massive hailstones and damaging winds lashed New South Wales.
The pair was taken to Maitland Hospital after the roof of the Kurri Kurri community centre collapsed when a storm tore through about 2pm on Monday.
A witness who works nearby told Macquarie Radio there were bricks and tin strewn across the road.
‘At the moment we’ve got ambulance, fire, police, the streets are blocked off. We’ve got wires down, trees down,’ he said.
Wild weather has lashed New South Wales with massive hailstones and strong winds bringing down trees and tearing off roofs
Two people were rushed to hospital after the roof of the Kurri Kurri community centre collapsed
Storms whipped many parts of the state from Monday morning, with a low pressure system wreaking havoc over Sydney and surrounding areas.
It some parts of the New South Wales, the carnage lasted just two minutes, yet left a trail of devastation.
The SES called for residents in affected areas to be patient as they worked on a growing list of 430 jobs in the afternoon.
The storms were widespread, with forecasters issuing severe thunderstorm warnings for the mid north coast, north west slopes, northern tablelands, south coast and Illawarra regions on Monday.
Kurri Kurri SES spokeswoman Raechel Squires said they received more than 130 jobs, mostly in relation to damaged or leaking roofs.
It some parts of the New South Wales, the carnage lasted just two minutes. These clouds rose over the Sydney suburbs on Monday afternoon
She said there were also lots of trees and branches down, some blocking driveways, and urged residents to stay away from fallen power lines.
‘There have been blackouts in various parts across the Hunter, not just those affected areas,’ Ms Squires told AAP.
‘(We want) to make sure people stay safe and be patient, SES will get to you when we can.’
The Bureau of Meteorology said while there were no observation stations in Kurri Kurri, other data suggested the storm could have been packing winds of up to 90 km/h.
Parts of the Illawarra region recorded more than 60mm of rain as the storms swept through, while a line of activity that moved across Sydney in the early afternoon dumped only 10 to 15mm of rain in about half an hour.
Surf Life Saving NSW warned hazardous surf conditions were expected for at least the next 48 hours and called for rock fishers, swimmers, surfers and boating enthusiasts to be cautious.
Parts of the Illawarra region recorded more than 60mm of rain as the storms swept through
Storms whipped many parts of the state from Monday morning, with a low pressure system wreaking havoc over Sydney and surrounding areas
It issued a warning for waters from the Eden Coast to Taree and said that warning could potentially be extended throughout Tuesday and Wednesday.
Roads and rail have also been affected.
Motorists were urged to slow down on the M1 Princes Motorway around Bulli due to adverse weather conditions, according to the Transport Management Centre.
Trains running on the South Coast Line between Wollongong and Albion Park were affected after lightning strikes damaged equipment, with passengers told to allow extra time.
Surf Life Saving NSW warned hazardous surf conditions were expected for at least the next 48 hours