Fatal Tree Strike and Power Outage Bring Sydney, Western NSW Trains to a Halt

SYDNEY:  Severe thunderstorms rolling across NSW have resulted in the tragic death of a man on the Central Coast and widespread disruption to the state’s transport network, with major rail lines completely halted.

A 76-year-old man was fatally struck by a falling tree at a home on Glenworth Valley Road on the Central Coast around 1:30 pm. Emergency crews were unable to revive him.

The wild weather, which struck hard in Sydney\’s west, has caused significant infrastructure damage, leading to massive delays and cancellations.

Trains: Services are not running between Parramatta and Richmond, or between Parramatta and St Mary’s, affecting the T1 North Shore and Western Line, T5 Cumberland Line, and the Blue Mountains Line. The cause is cited as severe weather conditions causing power supply issues. Replacement buses have been deployed between Blacktown and Richmond.

Light Rail: Services between Carlingford and Rosehill are suspended due to fallen overhead wires near Carlingford. Passengers are advised to seek alternative travel arrangements.

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has received over 620 calls for help so far, with a significant concentration of incidents in the Blacktown area (over 200 calls). These incidents include a large gumtree falling onto a house in North St Marys, where a mother and her baby were miraculously uninjured.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has warned that while Sydney\’s severe thunderstorms have eased temporarily, they could redevelop later today. The focus of the severe warning has now shifted north, forecasting damaging winds and large hailstones between Taree, Kempsey, and Mungindi over the next several hours.

The SES is urging residents to stay indoors and keep vehicles away from trees due to the ongoing danger.