Eastern states brace for more wild weather after tornado smashes NSW towns
Residents of an area three hours north east of Sydney are surveying the damage after a rare tornado swept through the area, amid more weather warnings.
Three people were take to hospital after yesterday's freak tornado hit areas around Bathurst - with reports a second twister was sighted further north at Narrabri near Tamworth.
Those injured were not seriously hurt - but some houses have been flattened.
READ MORE: Three injured as tornado tears through Central West NSW
Damage caused by the tornado. Nine
A tornado has ripped through Central West NSW, near Bathurst. 9News
Meanwhile, Millions of Australians are being told to brace for more wild weather from the same system.
Severe thunderstorms have swept across parts of south-eastern Australia this week, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake, and more are forecast to hit today and over the weekend.
Weatherzone says there is potential for supercells in north-east NSW and south-east Queensland on Friday, "capable of producing destructive winds and tornadoes".
"This tornado (on Thursday) is part of a prolonged thunderstorm outbreak in eastern Australia, which has been going since Tuesday and is likely to last until Saturday," Weatherzone said.
The large low-pressure system and trough have extended north of the Victorian border, through New South Wales and southern Queensland.
One building has its roof completely removed and debris scattered around by the tornado. Nine
NSW hit by tornado
A tornado hit Clear Creek, north-east of Bathurst in the NSW Central West on Thursday, injuring three people.
There is damage to houses, trees and powerlines in the area.
Cathy Jones and her family could only watch the destructive force, which she described as "a big black cloud that was swirling around", as it hit her home.
"It took the house... the roof, trampoline up a tree," she said.
"You always think you can hide under the bed but there was glass everywhere."
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An SES worker is seen walking through a house that has had its roof destroyed by the rare tornado that struck regional NSW. Nine
People inspect the remains of a building that has been completely flattened by the tornado. Nine
In one blessing for Ms Jones' family was that no one was injured.
"We were all in the car at the time," she said.
The village of Meadow Flat was also smashed, with corrugated iron roofs ripped away and some homes destroyed
Agata Mielska from the Bureau of Meteorology said there was a line of damage "roughly 25 to 30 kilometres".
Fresh storms were moving along the inland trough later in the day, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, bringing widespread rain over Victoria and southern NSW.
Queensland braces for big wet
Storms and heavy rain have lashed parts of Brisbane, with 2cm of hail in Sherwood and power outages reported in the Samford Valley on Thursday.
The Bureau of Meteorology also reported up to 6cm of hail in the southern Darling Downs.
A severe thunderstorm warning was still in place for large chunks of Queensland on Thursday night, with storms continuing to develop over central and southen-eastern districts.
The storm system is expected to shift on Friday towards the north-east, with severe storms possible in Queensland, including Brisbane, and north-east NSW.
The system is expected to move towards the Tasman Sea on Saturday, with residual storm and shower activity along the east coast.
Health alert for Victoria
Victorians who suffer from asthma have been told to take care, as thunderstorms move across parts of the country.
"The weather predictions for the next week are ideal for thunderstorm asthma," Victoria's AMA president Dr Roderick McRae told Today.
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The NSW Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for most of the state. BoM
"Anybody with a known diagnosis of asthma, please take your preventative medications."
His comments came as Victoria's hospital system faced a surge in admissions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
One paramedic describing the emergency department conditions as "already apocalyptic".
In 2016, a thunderstorm that hit Melbourne left thousands gasping for air, killing 10.
"It's only a prediction," Dr McRae said.
"But it's certainly stressing the system. The ambulances are already queued outside. So certainly I hope there's plenty of oxygen and adrenaline available in all of the emergency departments."
The wet and stormy weather will also spread to the ACT and across the Bass Strait and affect parts of northern and eastern Tasmania.
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