Sydney weather chaos: Bomb cyclone hits, disrupting transport and leaving 30,000 without power

Sydneysiders have been urged to avoid non-essential travel due to the severe weather that smashed the city overnight.

‘Please try to avoid non essential travel across the rail network today after ongoing severe weather disrupted services and caused damage to infrastructure,’ a Sydney Trains alert states.

Trains are not running between Penrith and St Marys on the T1 Western line due to a tree blocking the track at Kingswood.

A very limited number of replacement buses are running between Penrith and St Marys.

It’s not known when the track will be reopened.

Commuters are urged to use local bus services to get to St Marys train station.

On the northern beaches, buses are replacing Manly ferry services to Circular Quay due to the heavy swell.

Check information displays for service updates & allow plenty of extra travel time.

“We’ve seen some really significant damages,” Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland told ABC Radio Sydney, particularly in Western Sydney and on the Central Coast.

“If you must travel, please allow plenty of extra travel (time) to get to your destination,” Transport NSW said in an update this morning.

“Be prepared for disruptions, including possible road closures and public transport delays.

Over 31,000 homes and businesses have power thanks to Endeavour, while Essential and Ausgrid customers face blackouts – with Ausgrid issuing a fresh warning of more disruptions today.

‘At 6am, there are 6500 customers out in the Hunter/Newcastle region, 3000 in the Central Coast and just under 1000 in Sydney,’ an Ausgrid statement read.

‘As the wild weather continues into the morning, there could be more outages throughout the day, as well as flooding and hidden hazards, particularly around fallen or damaged trees.’

NSW SES has issued four emergency warnings for people to evacuate due to coastal erosion on the Central Coast in Wamberal and The Entrance.

Those living in the Burril Lake area have also been told to take shelter now due to flooding, with about 200 properties impacted, with floods reaching above floor level, the emergency service said.

A motorist in Cranebrook was rushed to hospital overnight after a large tree fell and took down high-voltage power lines in the area.

NSW SES has said it has been called to more than 2320 incidents since the start of the ‘cyclone bomb’.

Volunteers in the NSW SES Blue Mountains Unit said they have so far received 48 calls for assistance alone for the Lower Blue Mountains and a further four calls for the Upper Blue Mountains.

The wild weather has also disrupted services on rail networks, with the Central Coast and Newcastle line worst affected after trees fell on overhead wiring in two locations, including Koolewong.