Blowing a gale

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) issued gale wind warnings for large parts of Sydney as cold fronts moved across much of the State over late Friday into Saturday, and again on Monday night. Wind speeds of between 40 and 50 km/h with gusts of over 90 km/h, were recorded at the weather station at Sydney Airport over the weekend.
Across the State, the NSW SES responded to more than 1,500 calls for assistance, with Marrickville Unit media officer Hasmukh Chand saying their unit responded to 11 from the Inner West community alone.
He said many of these were tree related jobs as well as damage to roofs and skylights.
“There are a number of ways people can protect their families and homes from these types of events,” he said.
“Simple things like trimming overhanging branches, moving vehicles into secured parking and tying down or removing any loose items from backyards and balconies can make a huge difference.”
“The best time to prepare is now.”
Report fallen power lines to Ausgrid (131 388), Endeavour Energy (131 003), Essential Energy (132 080) or Evoenergy (131 093) as shown on your power bill.
For assistance during storms, call the NSW SES on 132 500 or if the situation is life threatening, call Triple Zero (000).