Fierce storm leaves one dead and two fighting for life as ‘mini tornado’ with powerful winds batters Sydney
One person has died and two are critically injured after a horror storm tore through Sydney‘s Northern Beaches on Sunday.
The massive gusts which whipped up a ‘mini-tornado’ knocked down a tree in Narrabeen which fell on to a vehicle, New South Wales Police confirmed.
Witnesses said they heard screams from those trapped inside the car.
One person has died and two are critically injured as a horror storm tore through Sydney ‘s Northern Beaches on Sunday
The ‘ferocious’ storm cell has caused chaos on the roads with downed traffic lights and power poles blocking off streets.
Locals are also reporting widespread blackouts across the area as SES personnel race to the suburb.
‘From 3.30pm, emergency services received multiple reports of storm damage across the Northern Beaches area with trees and powerlines down across suburbs from Mona Vale to Forestville,’ NSW police said.
‘Of note, officers from Northern Beaches Police Area Command along with NSW Ambulance paramedics, Fire & Rescue NSW, and the Westpac helicopter responded to a carpark on Ocean Street, Narrabeen, after reports a tree and powerlines had come down.
‘One person was declared deceased, while two others were critically injured and transported to Royal North Shore Hospital.’
Police warned the area is still considerably ‘hazardous’ and that members of the public are advised to avoid the area.
‘In order to stay safe, you should treat all powerlines as if they are live,’ they said.
Former ABC journalist David Lewis described the how the horrifying incident played out outside his doorstep.
‘A tree fell down at Narrabeen on Sydney’s northern beaches during this afternoon’s storm,’ he wrote on Twitter. ‘My family lives across the road and heard screams.’
More to come.
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