‘Incredible’ tornado filmed as wild weather causes ‘extensive damage’ in NSW town

Emergency crews say an area in rural NSW has been extensively damaged after a tornado sparked a warning for residents not to leave home.

The incident came amid a potentially wild weekend for weather across the eastern states, with part of northern NSW expected to be hit particularly hard on Sunday.

The State Emergency Service issued a watch and act alert about 4.30pm on Saturday for an area covering Goulburn and Yass in the Southern Tablelands north of Canberra.

Residents were advised to stay inside due to the risk of damaging winds and large or possibly even giant hailstones.

“Move or stay indoors clear of windows, bringing children and pets with you,” the NSW SES said.

“If you must travel, consider the consequences of road conditions and closures and make alternate arrangements for work, children, and travel.”

Later in the day, a member of the NSW Rural Fire Service in the Southern Tablelands zone filmed what the organisation described as an “incredible video of a tornado” in the area.

The RFS said the phenomenon formed north of Gunning, about 40 kilometres west of Goulburn.

“RFS crews remain on scene at multiple incidents across the district, working alongside SES to assist impacted communities. Operations are expected to continue well into the night as crews respond to storm damage and associated hazards,” the crew said.

The Goulburn unit of the SES later said the tornado was the reason for the watch and act warning.

“Lucky Goulburn didn’t get hit but parts of Yass have had extensive damage. Crews will continue to support NSW SES - Yass Unit and the community throughout the night and into tomorrow,” the unit said.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines said an outbreak of storms was expected to affect several states and capital cities across the weekend.

He said severe storms were possible on Sunday from Newcastle all the way up to Gympie, north of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

An area from just north of Newcastle to just north of Byron Bay will be the main focus, with wind gusts possibly topping 125km/h.

“Storms across the east coast tomorrow bring the risk of our full array of weather hazards: the big hailstones, the heavy rainfall and flash flooding, and the damaging winds that could damage property or trees,” he said in a video released by the bureau on Saturday afternoon.

Hines urged residents in the area to keep a close eye on the weather bureau for information.

At midnight on Sunday, a severe thunderstorm warning remained in place for parts of the central west and northern inland of NSW.

Earlier warnings in Victoria's Gippsland region and Queensland’s Maranoa and Warrego areas were cancelled.

Hines said some mountainous parts of Northern Victoria and southern NSW copped wind gusts of more than 100km/h on Saturday morning.