Central Coast Man Killed by Falling Tree as Violent Storms Lash NSW

SYDNEY:  Severe thunderstorms and wild weather have resulted in a tragic fatality on the NSW Central Coast, where a 76-year-old man was killed by a falling tree this afternoon.

The man was unable to be revived by emergency workers who rushed to a home on Glenworth Valley Road at approximately 1:30 pm.

The tragedy occurred as fierce storms swept through a massive area, including Sydney’s surrounds—hitting Richmond, Camden, Campbelltown, and Penrith—as well as the Hunter region. Warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) stretched as far as Tamworth, Bourke, Scone, Walgett, and Coonabarabran.

Emergency crews also responded to a miraculous escape in the Sydney area. At around 1 pm, a large gumtree fell onto a house on Kurrajong Road in North St Marys, where a woman and her baby were inside. The witness reported the woman was “very shaken up” but both she and the baby were uninjured and taken to Nepean Hospital for mandatory testing.

Severe thunderstorms swept across Sydney.

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has been overwhelmed, receiving more than 620 calls for help so far, with over 200 of those originating from the Blacktown area alone.

The BoM stated that the severe thunderstorms in Sydney have temporarily eased, but they could redevelop later today. The primary risk has shifted north, with warnings for damaging winds and large hailstones likely in the state’s north, between Taree, Kempsey, and Mungindi, over the next several hours.

The SES has advised people impacted by the storms to stay indoors and move cars under cover and away from trees.