Wild weather hits Sydney and surrounding areas by Laura Gilchrist
Heavy rain and gale-force winds caused widespread disruption in the Sydney metropolitan area on Thursday, thanks to a low pressure system which also brought snow to the Blue Mountains.
The rain and snow was brought by a low-pressure system moving eastwards through New South Wales during Wednesday and Wednesday night. This same low then moved off the coast and deepened, bringing the gales to Sydney on Thursday. Flights out of Sydney’s airport were delayed and commuter ferries in the harbour were cancelled, causing chaos for the Thursday morning rush hour. A number of roads and railways in the region were flooded or blocked by landslides. As the wind picked up, gusts reaching over 60 mph (nearly 100 km/h) were reported. The State Emergency Service received over 500 calls for help with weather-related problems.
Sydney’s Observatory Hill weather station recorded 107.2 millimetres (4.2 inches) of rain in just 24 hours, the most rainfall seen here in one day since 1883. Many, though not all, parts of drought-affected New South Wales saw some welcome rain. The Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, had not seen a major snowfall all winter, but received 50 mm (2.0 in) of snow from the weather system as it passed.
The Bureau of Meteorology was warning of further disruption from the wind for the remainder of Thursday, before it slowly eases overnight into Friday.
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