Dramatic scenes as strong winds cause tree to fall on Sydney tram at Pyrmont trapping 67 passengers
More than 60 passengers were trapped on a tram when high winds in Sydney caused a tree to fall onto power lines.
Devastating wind gusts caused chaos in Pyrmont, near the centre of Australia’s largest city, shortly before noon on Saturday.
Power had to be turned off before 67 light rail passengers could be safely rescued from the situation at Darling Harbour, where a fallen tree branch had smashed a glass window.
Strong winds are blowing across New South Wales from the Victorian border to the north coast. In Sydney, gusts of up to 100 km/h are expected this afternoon.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued an extreme weather warning, stretching from Cooma to Kempsey, with strong winds expected to continue until Sunday morning.
The bad weather is expected to cause chaos on the highways as many families return home after the school holidays.
The Sydney tram tragedy could be the start of more work for the state’s fire and rescue services. A spokesman confirmed that 67 passengers had been rescued after the power was cut.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued an update on Saturday afternoon warning that average wind speeds will be 70km/h and could reach 100km/h.
More than 60 passengers were trapped on a tram when high winds in Sydney caused a tree to fall onto overhead power lines
Power had to be turned off before 67 light rail passengers could be rescued
“Damaging winds are expected to diminish during the evening into Sunday morning,” the report said.
A weather bureau spokesman said coastal and inland areas were experiencing stronger northwesterly winds.
“A strengthening northwesterly flow ahead of an approaching cold front is bringing strong winds to inland and coastal areas,” he said.
Power had to be turned off before 67 light rail passengers could be rescued
Strong winds are blowing across New South Wales from the Victorian border to the north coast, with gale force gusts of up to 100km/h expected in Sydney this afternoon
‘The wind is expected to turn to the southwest from late afternoon and decrease from the west in the evening and on Sunday morning.’
State emergency crews are busy clearing fallen trees with chainsaws, just a day after a CrowdStrike software update caused checkouts at self-service grocery stores to stop working.