Tornado rips through Ulladulla area as severe thunderstorms hit New South Wales south coast

A tornado has torn through parts of the New South Wales south coast, causing significant damage around Ulladulla. The severe weather struck after the region was placed under a warning for damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall just after 1pm local time. The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed that a tornado moved through the area and described the event as very unusual.

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The New South Wales State Emergency Service said it had received more than 90 calls for assistance across the state, including 29 around Ulladulla. Crews were responding to reports of roofs being ripped from homes, dislodged tiles and skylights, and fallen trees and powerlines. Dozens of properties also lost power, adding to the disruption in the area.

An incident management team has been set up in Ulladulla as emergency crews from nearby Nowra and surrounding areas continue to respond. Nowra had received close to 17 millimetres of rain since 9am, according to the information provided by emergency responders. The SES said it expected calls for assistance to rise further as severe thunderstorms were forecast to continue into the evening.

The damage highlights the impact of a rare tornado event on a populated stretch of the south coast, where severe thunderstorms can quickly bring wind damage, flooding rain and power outages. The confirmation of a tornado is significant because such events are uncommon in the area and can intensify the scale of local emergency response. For residents and businesses, the immediate concern is the safety of damaged homes and the restoration of electricity and access.

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The response is being led by the state emergency service, with support from crews in neighbouring districts. The focus so far has been on clearing fallen trees, dealing with damaged roofs and securing properties affected by broken tiles and skylights. The weather system also affected a wider part of New South Wales, which is why emergency calls were being logged beyond the Ulladulla area.

What remains unclear is the full extent of the damage and whether there have been any injuries, as no casualty figures were provided in the available information. The situation is still developing as thunderstorms continue and more calls for help are expected. The next key updates will be the scale of property damage, the number of outages still affecting residents, and whether further severe weather warnings are issued.

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