Windy start to storm season - Mudgee Guardian

The vicious start to the storm season continued on Thursday with wind gusts again buffeting the local area resulting in another busy day for the State Emergency Service (SES).

Local Unit Controller Ian Forrester said it was NOT surprising that they received a number of callouts given that wind gusts of around 70km/h were being recorded around the time the SES’s phone started ringing.

“In the Mudgee/Gulgong area we had three requests for assistance from the public,” he said.

“There was a branch threatening a shed out at Gulgong, a tree across the road on the Castlereagh Highway between Mudgee and Gulgong, and a roofing job in Mudgee.”

Mr Forrester added that the latter was a carport that blew on to a neighbour’s roof, which was proof of the strength of the gusts hitting the area.

“We don’t often get carports blowing onto neighbour’s roofs, but it’s a real reminder that anything can get blown away and they can become a danger,” he said.

As strong winds blew ahead of a cold front which moved from the Southwest to the Northeast of the state on Thursday the conditions brought hot and dry weather which resulted in some severe fire danger.

The NSW SES was busy with over 370 jobs across the state, as well as providing a variety of bushfire support activities throughout the day and into the evening.

For emergency assistance in floods and storms call the NSW SES on 132 500.

For advice on how to prepare your home for storm season visit the SES Stormsafe website

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