Damaging winds close Dubbo's Service NSW Centre as severe weather hits inland NSW
Five panels of glass were damaged when 80km/h winds tore through the city. (ABC Western Plains: Jen McCutcheon)
In short:
The Service NSW Centre in Dubbo was forced to close after severe winds tore through the building, blowing out its windows.
It comes after wild weather also fuelled dramatic dust storms in other parts of New South Wales.
What's next?
A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for a large part of the state’s north-west, while a catastrophic fire warning has been issued for the first time in more than two years.
Wild storms struck inland New South Wales, bringing powerful winds that damaged buildings and triggered dust storms.
The Service NSW Centre in Dubbo was forced to close on Tuesday afternoon after powerful wind gusts tore through the city.
Five glass panels gave way when winds of 80km/h hit, shattering glass across the car park.
A video recorded by occupants of the building captured the moment the windows were blown away.
No-one was injured, but the damage forced the immediate closure of the centre.
Loading...Customers arriving shortly after the incident were turned away as maintenance crews were called in to assess the damage and secure the site.
The closure came after a severe weather warning was issued earlier in the day, with the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) urging residents to prepare for hazardous winds and storms.
Customers were turned away shortly after storms damaged Dubbo's Service NSW Centre. (ABC Western Plains: Jen McCutcheon)
Griffith, in the Riverina region, was particularly hard hit with wind gusts of up to 104 kilometres per hour causing dust storms.
Approximately 2,400 homes in Wagga, Griffith and Carrathool lost power overnight.
Loading...More than 7,000 homes across Newcastle and the Hunter region were also without power on Tuesday afternoon.
Severe weather and fire danger
The BOM is forecasting severe thunderstorms for parts of the Mid North Coast, Central Tablelands, North West Slopes and Plains, Central West Slopes and Plains, and Northern Tablelands.
Wind gusts of 125km/h were recorded at Tamworth Airport while the storms are expected to produce damaging winds and large hailstones over the next several hours.
Tamworth, Scone, Gunnedah, Narrabri, Coonabarabran and Coonamble are among the locations that could be affected.
Meanwhile in the state's south east a severe thunderstorm warning is expected to develop from Wednesday morning.
Damaging wind gusts in excess of 90km/h are forecast for tomorrow morning with the storm expected to hit Wollongong, Nowra, Canberra, Goulburn, Bowral, Katoomba, Cooma, Braidwood and Bombala.
Meanwhile, the NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) has forecast catastrophic fire for the Lower Central West Plains for Wednesday.
It is the first time a catastrophic rating has been forecast since September 2023.
The RFS is advising people in the risk area that leaving the area is their safest course of action.
Schools identified in high-risk areas may also be closed.
SES call-outs
The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has responded to numerous calls for help over the past 24 hours.
The Western Zone team had responded to 24 jobs since Monday afternoon, including 14 in Wentworth in south-west NSW, three in Wellington, including a branch on a powerline, and two incidents in Broken Hill.
Meanwhile, crews responded to 40 jobs across the Riverina region.
This car was damaged by a fallen tree branch after a storm hit Coomealla in south-west NSW. (Supplied: NSW SES)
The SES said residents in Dubbo, Wellington, Narromine, Gilgandra and Peak Hill may be affected through Tuesday evening and reminded them to secure any loose items around their homes and to not park under trees or powerlines where possible.
"Our teams are preparing for the next few days with the NSW Bureau of Meteorology forecasting storms to continue through to Thursday evening," SES spokesperson Kiara Magnussen said.
"As a priority, we urge residents to download the Hazards Near Me app and set up watch locations for their regions to receive warnings in real time."