Severe weather, damaging winds hit ACT

About 500 calls for help have been received by the SES as a storm with damaging winds sweeps across the ACT and parts of NSW at speeds up to 96km/h, causing a severe weather warning to be issued.

Most calls were for help with trees felled by the gusts in the ACT and authorities are warning people to be careful as power lines may have also been downed in the strong winds on Friday afternoon.

The SES, ACT Fire & Rescue, ACT Rural Fire Service and Transport Canberra and City Services are dealing with fallen power lines, large trees that have come down, motor vehicle crashes and automatic fire alarms in commercial buildings, the ACT SES says.