Author Topic: The Australian weather & fire thread (winds, floods, bushfires, warnings, news)  (Read 142225 times)

tommy.irene

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snipe 100 :yess: :yess: :yess: :snipewin: :snipewin: :snipewin:
***** TOMMY LOVES YOU ALL *****

lacey

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Oh well, at least it's cool with a light sprinkling of rain today.  That will keep the fire at bay for a few days, till it dries out again. ;D
Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.

lacey

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I wonder what it is about council staff?
Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.

mandurahmum

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Coinfuscious is near where cyclone Lawrence is - so I hope he is safe.

lacey

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have you got a cyclone coming?  Hope it's not a bad one.
Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.

*wheels*

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*wheels*

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Residents alert as fire approaches homes

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/16/2773866.htm

A number of residents in Sydney's north-west are on alert for embers from a bushfire burning in a nature reserve.

One hundred firefighters are working to contain the blaze at Windsor Downs.

Anthony Clark from the Rural Fire Service (RFS) says crews have the help of an air crane.

"We've been trying to prevent that fire crossing to the south towards Richmond Road," he said.

"So far our crews are proving successful in that regard."

There have been no property losses but the RFS says residents next to the nature reserve in Sanctuary Drive, Nutwood Lane and Willeroo Drive should be alert to embers.

Meanwhile, a fire that swept through rural properties at Bringelly in Sydney's south-west is close to being contained.

One shed was destroyed and a firefighter was treated for smoke inhalation.

*wheels*

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Homes in flames as bushfires rage

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/17/2774855.htm

Properties, homes and cars have been burnt in a large fire at Gerogery, north of Albury, in southern New South Wales.

The blaze began at a tip in the nearby village of Walla about 1:00pm (AEDT) and has burnt through grazing land between Glenellen and Gerogery.

Marg Wehner from the Rural Fire Service (RFS) says residents in the area should seek safety.

"If they do not wish to be in the area, it's probably too late to be leaving now," she said.

"The fire is within the vicinity and the smoke is very high. They need to just batten down the hatches and hang in there."

RFS commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons has told ABC local radio that an emergency alert has been issued for Gerogery, West Gerogery and surrounding areas.

"That emergency alert will be going out to communities in that area because that fire is moving and burning very aggressively," he said.

He says there are about 50 trucks in and around the area.

"We've [got] 50 firefighting appliances in an around that fire, half a dozen aircraft supporting the firefighting effort and probably in the order of 200 plus firefighters by now working across fire ground in that area," Mr Fitzsimmons said.

The RFS says properties near Table Top North, Bowna, Wymah, Mullengandra and Mountain Creek are also affected.

Sydney blazes

Meanwhile, the RFS says bushfires are posing an immediate threat to properties at Londonderry in Sydney's north-west.

Mr Fitzsimmons says he has heard reports that one home may have already been lost.

"It's early days at this stage - that could be a shed - but the indications were it might actually be a home," he said.

The RFS says semi-rural properties are under immediate threat in Nutt Road, Taylor Road, Devlin Road and Smeeton Road.

A spokesman says the fires will threaten homes on nearby Londonderry Road soon.

He says the service has issued an emergency warning and has 200 firefighters on the scene.

Temperatures in Sydney's west have passed 40 degrees this afternoon.

The Bureau of Meteorology says the temperature at Richmond in the north-west was 40.7 degrees at 2.00pm AEDT.

Grassfire

Four aircraft and more than 45 fire trucks are tackling another large grassfire moving quickly towards properties near Tooma in southern NSW.

Mr Fitzsimmons says he is concerned about the wind change in the Tooma area and says there are reports of some injuries on the ground.

"We've had reports from our field officers down around the border regions and they've already seen winds up to and exceeding 120 kilometres per hour ahead of that frontal activity," he said.

"That's really causing us a problem right now. There are reports coming in that there may be homes and property alight as a result of that fast-moving fire."

RFS crews are also battling a 150-hectare grass and bushfire near Michelago, south of Canberra.

Authorities say a change in the weather this afternoon should help them bring it under control and no property is under immediate threat.

The bushfire danger for the Monaro area has been set at the highest catastrophic level.

*wheels*

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EMERGENCY WARNING

Large, Fast moving #bushfire in Cann River expected to impact between the hours of 4:30 - 6:30PM travelling NE towards Cann River.

http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/incidents/warnings_advice.htm?inUrl=websites_detail_189457916.html

Cann River (Myrgatroyd Track)
Effective: 17/12/09 04:30:00 PM
Expires: 17/12/09 06:30:00 PM
Incident Information:

There is a Large, Fast Moving moving bushfire in Cann River (Myrgatroyd Track) area. This fire is expected to impact between the hours of 04:30 PM - 06:30 PM . It is travelling north east direction towards Cann River.

    * This bushfire is approximately 2000 hectares in size and is Out of Control.
    * This bushfire is currently creating spot-fires approximately up to 5 kms ahead.
    * This fire is expected to affect the towns of Cann River and Tonghi Creek and surrounds.

*wheels*

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Blaze quadruples in size, heads for properties

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/17/2774981.htm

A large bushfire in Victoria's far east is out of control and moving towards the Cann River township.

The fire, burning south-west of Cann River, has quadrupled in size since this morning.

It now covers 1,600 hectares and is starting to creep onto private property near the town.

Authorities are reporting spot fires up to two kilometres ahead of the fire's front and residents still in the area are being warned to finalise their place of refuge.

Incident controller Ben Rankin says a wind change this afternoon has made battling the fast-moving blaze extremely difficult.

"The waterbombers are struggling to do effective work because of the heavy smoke that's been pushed in ahead of this fire," he said.

The Princes Highway and all other roads into the area are now closed.

lacey

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Not being sure who lives where, i thought I would put this link here to an important announcement released today by the weather bureau, concerning the weather to come.

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDN38503.txt
Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.

**Cupie**

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S.A. still trying to control major fires.......Kingston, Port Lincoln 12 -20 homes gutted, 11 sheds destroyed 5 Firies injured..some residents admitted to hospital for smoke inhalation......Better conditions today, so firies can put in back burns.....Good luck Guys !!!


*CountessA*

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Melburnians have sweated through the city's equal hottest night on record.

The temperature dipped to a minimum of 30.6 degrees Celsius about 8.49am (AEDT) today after a sweltering maximum of 43.6 degrees.

The pre-9am temperature equaled the hottest-ever night, previously set over 100 years ago on February 1, 1902.

South Australians, meanwhile, have finally received some relief after five days of 35 degrees-plus heat.

Rain and cooler weather today helped the state's firefighters gain control of bushfires burning in areas of the Adelaide Hills as the city faced a mild maximum of just 26.

Much of NSW, meanwhile, remains on red alert, with catastrophic warnings in place across the state and temperatures set to soar into the 40s in many parts.

Gusty winds could help spread bushfires, with southwestern NSW under biggest threat, the Rural Fire Service (RFS) says.

Catastrophic warnings are in place for the eastern, northern and southern Riverina regions.

Severe warnings are in place in the southern ranges, lower central west plains and southern slopes NSW fire areas.

Total fire bans are in place across the state, with the same restrictions in place throughout Victoria expect for the south western region.

Victoria's western Wimmera region — the only area in the state to be declared a "code red" yesterday — has been downgraded to a yellow "very high" fire danger without major incident.

The North Country and North East regions have entered code red warnings, under which residents are urged to leave their homes.

RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said those under threat should make plans to leave early.

"Under these conditions, fires that start and take hold will typically be uncontrollable and potentially dangerous," he said.

"It's critical that people, especially across southwestern and southern NSW, are alert to the potential for fire activity and ensure they have a plan for what to do if a fire affects the area they're in."

Melburnians can expect it to get hotter before it cools down. Tuesday is expected to hit 40 degrees in the city before a cool change sweeps across Melbourne between 1pm and 2pm.

A weak change was moving across the western suburbs early on Tuesday but it was unlikely to have much impact, Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Terry Ryan said.

Meanwhile, more than 30,000 customers have suffered power cuts after the extreme weather caused distribution transformers to overheat in the state.

Jemena and United Energy customers in the southeastern suburbs and the Mornington Peninsula endured rolling outages from late afternoon on Monday.

At 7am on Tuesday, power had been restored to more than 25,000 customers and about 2200 were waiting to be reconnected.

A spokesman for the two power companies said the problem worsened overnight but only about 200 customers were affected at a time.

Temperatures are likely to decrease slightly on Wednesday, with Melbourne's maximum predicted to be just 23 with showers.

Sydney is set to reach 29 and 35 in the western suburbs, while Adelaide remaining at 26, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
"No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is ...a part of the maine; ...any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde"

*CountessA*

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Firefighters are battling a large grass fire burning toward homes southwest of Brisbane.

The fire is burning around Pikedale Road, The Glen, near Warwick, after jumping the nearby New England Highway, authorities say.

Police have closed the highway between Warwick and Stanthorpe as the fire moves towards a handful of rural properties.

Fire crews are working to contain the fire and protect property.

Residents have been asked to listen to the advice of authorities at the scene and keep their doors and windows closed.

Motorists are also asked to avoid the area.

The fire began about 7pm (AEST) on Wednesday but flared up on Thursday afternoon.

It's not known how many hectares are burning.
"No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is ...a part of the maine; ...any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde"

*Ubbie Max*

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A lightning bolt hit the deck just in front of my joint this evening. Big bang. All the power went down for a few seconds & when it came on again I had lost my internet connections.

I rang Optus but the person I spoke to wasn't much help.

I fixed it myself by pulling out the power plug from the router & whacking it back in. Good guess work as I don't know what I'm doing when it comes to computers.

My next step would have been pouring some Pepsi Max on the hard drive, Pepsi Max fixes everything.

*smee*

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I have just checked out a website regarding rainfall in Melbourne
here is what they reckon ....

long term February average 47.6mm ... 12th today already 49.6mm
Rainfall to date this year 72.2mm ...... same period last year 2.2mm ( big difference )

now here is the bit that shocks me .... I must have been on another planet ..... yesterday rainfall 0.00 mm, zilch , nothing , zero , F.A.Y.H. !!!!! 


I would say that yesterday it was the hardest longest heaviest rain we have had this year ..... maybe they kept the rain gauges indoors so they didnt get wet ... and before anyone says they havent had a chance to input the data yet , they already have todays in for what we have had so far so thats bollocks !!!!!!

*CountessA*

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Smee, they are using the Myki Rainfall Collection System.

It explains everything.
"No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is ...a part of the maine; ...any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde"

G-NOME

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it is just hot here

*FluffyDuckee*

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Where's 'here' G?
:duckling:

*smee*

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sounds like WA .??? would that be correct G-nome ?

*r3830*

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TSUNAMI Alert current - East Coast Australia - from 0800am, Sunday Morning.  Resulting from Chilean earthquake. (8.8) Tsunami confirmed as generated.

B.O.M (www.bom.gov.au)

G-NOME

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it is hot hot and hot here, when will we get relief, i have forgoten what rain is or feels like it has been so long

G-NOME

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sorry yep WA, hoping for some relief soon

*FluffyDuckee*

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It's cold here in Melbourne G.   Fancy having to wear a cardigan in early March... 
:duckling:

G-NOME

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it is still hot here in WA, waiting for a cool breeze, rain who knows that seems to be a long way off, trees and plants are suffering from the hot winds, nothing we can do about it

*smee*

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Nasty Weather heading for Melbourne ???

About 4pm I reckon ...... a huge storm .....

*smee*

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sorry I was out by about an hour .... just got hit with huge hail storm

*Brum6y*

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Looking at the weather radar .... Lysterfield now ... Packenham next...

But it's moving pretty quickly.

[attachment deleted by admin]

Roo

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Crikey!

Hailstones the size of tennis balls!

I would have gone out to take some pics......but if one of those suckers hit you on the head....I'd say you would have a slight headache for awhile....if you still had a head! :lol:

Flemington races have been called off for the day too.  Too much ice on the track...and the horses are all spooked.

*smee*

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yes Roo big blighters  werent they !!!  I got sconed by one as I went to put a protective cover on the car

Roo

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Some would say that it may have knocked some sense into your head......I wouldn't say that of course.... :angel:

*smee*

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yes you may be right Roo .... someone I know who has a car yard not far down the road , has just returned after inspecting the damage ..... 45 cars exposed .... all damaged , some worse than others but early estimations suggest average damage per vehicle say $1500 ... so approx $67500 damage .....not good

Roo

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Some pics of the storm....gotta love the aussie flavour in the second last one...lol.....

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/photo-gallery/gallery-e6frf94x-1225837692013


*smee*

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whats the bet that we will get an annoucement from the water authority over the next couple of days advising that none or very little of the run off made it into the dams  

Roo

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That is a very real possibitity Smee.

Our Government should really look into building new catchment areas to fall in line with current rain fall areas.

It would create Employment......and we could have wonderful water areas closer to inner city areas..perfect for water theme parks!

Melbourne could have it's own WaterWorld!

*smee*

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I agree Roo .... all states should look at having a Dam closer to the ocean as all water finds its own level ...ie : sea level , at the moment most dams are at the foot of mountains so yes they get the run off from the mountains but the mountains are our highest points above sea level , build a couple of dams lower and we will catch a lot more..... lets look at what they do at the moment , allow millions and millions of litres of fresh rain water work its way through the drainage system into the ocean , then pump it from the ocean through a desalination station to get it back to the fresh water it was prior to reaching the ocean , hell in parts of Qld they wanted to try and purify septic waste back to drinking water , this in a state that spends half its life flooded ????????   Catch the fresh water is the answer IN MY OPINION !!!!

*CountessA*

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My best friend's outdoor patio roof has been destroyed by those frightening hailstones.

As the hail came down, it sounded like bullets.
"No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is ...a part of the maine; ...any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde"

G-NOME

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well u guys might be sick of the rain and I am sorry for the storm damage u  have suffered, I cant remember rain at the moment, it hasnt rain here for so long, I cant remember when, tomorrow we have 37/38 C next day 39C

If we dont get rain soon we will have a very cold winter too

G-NOME

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sorry just fed up with the heat, we should be coolimg down by now, wishful thinking

*wheels*

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Batten down the hatches Mackay

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR222.loop.shtml

follow CycloneUpdate on Twitter

http://twitter.com/cycloneupdate

On this day 4 years ago Severe Tropical Cyclone Larry devistated Innisfail. Feels like Deja Vu all over again.
#TCUlui    33 minutes ago   via web  

*CountessA*

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A major storm has swept across Perth causing widespread flooding, property damage and power cuts as it dumped big hailstones and substantial rain on the parched city.

The city's residents have been warned to brace for further storms coming through from the north.

A Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said it was one of the biggest storms in Perth for many years with wind gusts of more than 120km/h and 35mm of rain falling within about eight hours since 9am.

Western Power reported the storm had cut power to around 150,000 customers by about 6pm (WST) on Monday as the city darkened and lightning flashed constantly.

Emergency services responded to many hundreds of calls for assistance with power lines and trees down, roofs broken and windows smashed.

About 20 people were evacuated from the emergency room at Joondalup Hospital after part of the ceiling collapsed.

Police said a landslip at the edge of King's Park near the city centre had crushed two parked cars and filled one apartment with mud but there were no reports of people hurt.

At least three high schools reported they would be closed on Tuesday because of storm damage to classrooms.

A large number of cars in the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital carpark were reported damaged as reports came in of hailstones as big as golf balls.

All outpatient and elective surgery appointments at the hospital had been cancelled for Tuesday due to water damage, the hospital said in a statement.

Some office buildings in the CBD were evacuated for safety reasons at the height of the storm.

Driving rain by 5pm flooded streets and 150 sets of blacked-out traffic lights made driving hazardous for commuters heading home, with widespread congestion reported.

Motorists were warned to slow down and turn their headlights on, while boaties, swimmers and surfers were urged to get out of the water.

Train and bus services were severely disrupted by the storm, the Public Transport Authority of WA said.

Motorists on the main business strip of St George's Terrace created bow waves as they drove through the inundated road while pedestrians had to take off their shoes to wade across some streets.

Police reported serious flooding on Hay Street in central Perth with part of the road subsiding, forcing closure of a bus lane.

A Western Power spokeswoman said it was expected a significant number of customers would be without power overnight and that could extend to Tuesday night as ongoing bad weather hampered repair efforts.

At the height of the storm, office workers crowded to windows to watch sheets of rain sweep past as lightning flashed over the obscured Swan River.

Perth has had a dry summer with minimal or no rain for months.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of further storm fronts hitting Perth from the north through the evening and overnight.
"No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is ...a part of the maine; ...any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde"

mandurahmum

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Thankfully it came from up north - we escaped with hardly any rain or wind. 

What a way to break the 111 day drought

*CountessA*

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Western Victoria has been put on bushfire alert this weekend, with hot, dry weather expected.

Temperatures in parts of the state are tipped to hit the low to mid 30s on Sunday.

The fire danger rating is expected to reach the third highest level - severe - on Sunday in the Wimmera region, in the state's west.

The north-west, central north, central and Melbourne areas of Victoria are forecast to be on the very high danger rating level.

State Control Centre spokeswoman Caroline Douglass said the west needs to be prepared.

"People need to understand that even towards the end of the bushfire season the risk of a significant fire is still very real," she said.

"Over this weekend, it is important that those people in these areas monitor the weather and fire conditions closely."

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting strong, hot and dry northerly winds in the west, ahead of a change early Monday morning.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment will focus on strengthening control lines around recent planned burns in western Victoria.

"Crews will be blacking out hotspots and patrolling burns over the weekend," Ms Douglass said.

"Communities and people visiting rural and regional Victoria should be aware that some smoke may be visible from these burns."

Information about planned burning is available at www.dse.vic.gov.au or by calling the Victorian Bushfire Information Line on 1800 240 667.
"No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is ...a part of the maine; ...any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde"

*smee*

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I think we are about to get hit by a big storm again

*CountessA*

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Chance of thunderstorms this afternoon, clearing this evening. Winds northwesterly averaging 30 to 45 km/h tending west to northwesterly up to 30km/h by early evening. Strong wind warning for Port Phillip.
Wind gust: WSW 80 km/h at 3:13 p.m.

I feel miserable with this stupid 'flu... The weather doesn't need to make it any worse.
"No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is ...a part of the maine; ...any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde"

*smee*

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Chance of thunderstorms this afternoon

that much has arrived already !!!!! if that is the prediction of the Bureau of Meteorology then you can treble that ....... a school child could predict better than they can

*CountessA*

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Be fair, Smee. They might have closed the windows to avoid having rain coming in.
"No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is ...a part of the maine; ...any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde"

*smee*

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have they got windows now ? if so you would think they would get closer to being accurate than saying chance of an afternoon shower when is already pssssssssssssssssing down !

*CountessA*

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A storm which ravaged southern NSW on Sunday with gale-force winds and torrential rain is moving towards Sydney and the Illawarra coast, forecasters say.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has issued a severe weather warning for the areas, with 100km/h winds and wild surf conditions expected to hit on Monday morning.

Rain is also expected for the Illawarra and south coast, but flash flooding is no longer considered likely, the BoM says.

The storm, caused by a low pressure system off the NSW south coast, is weakening as it moves north but the bureau is still warning of possible damage.

On Sunday, the extreme weather wreaked havoc on a series of coastal towns including Narooma, Bega, Bodalla and Eden, where about 9000 homes were left without power.

A number of roads were closed and dozens of properties were damaged by fallen trees, while the wind also tore up roofs and smashed windows.

Country Energy says about 3000 homes in Bermagui, Tilba and Eden remain cut off after the extreme weather played havoc with the network.

About 6000 customers were reconnected overnight and crews are working to remove trees and restore lines across the region.
"No man is an Iland, intire of it selfe; every man is ...a part of the maine; ...any mans death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankinde"