A fast-moving storm swept through Australia's Sydney on Tuesday, leaving about 48,000 homes without power, disrupting public transportation schedules, and causing citywide damage, a local electricity distribution company said
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th November, 2019) A fast-moving storm swept through Australia's Sydney on Tuesday, leaving about 48,000 homes without power, disrupting public transportation schedules, and causing citywide damage, a local electricity distribution company said."STORM UPDATE: 48,000 customers are still without power in Sydney after severe storms caused extensive damage to the electricity network. Power for most of those customers will not be able to be restored tonight. Emergency crews are working on making safe life threatening hazards," Ausgrid wrote on Twitter.
The official transportation authority for the state of New South Wales, where Sydney is located, warned on its website that buses had stopped running on time because of the storm.
"Buses are delayed up to 30 minutes due to a number of fallen trees, downed wires and blacked out traffic lights at various locations," Transport for NSW's message read.
The thunderstorm also resulted in massive fires across New South Wales.
"At 9pm [11:00 GMT Tuesday], there are 124 fires burning across NSW. Widespread lightning has sparked a large number of new fires, with many starting outside of containment lines firefighters have been working so hard to strengthen over days, weeks and months. #nswrfs #nswfires," the NSW Rural Fire Service wrote on Twitter.
According to the Australian government's meteorological bureau, wind gusts in Sydney Harbor reached 95 kilometers and hour (59 miles per hour).
The state emergency service recommended that residents stay clear of fallen power lines, creeks and storm drains, as well as not walk or drive through floodwater.
