Tornado Causes Extensive Damage in Southern Tablelands, NSW

The State Emergency Service (SES) issued a watch-and-act alert at about 4:30 p.m. on Saturday for the Goulburn and Yass area in the Southern Tablelands north of Canberra, warning residents to remain indoors because of damaging winds and the possibility of large hailstones.

"Move or stay indoors clear of windows, bringing children and pets with you," the NSW SES advised. "If you must travel, consider the consequences of road conditions and closures and make alternate arrangements for work, children, and travel."

Later that day, a member of the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) recorded video of a tornado that formed north of Gunning, roughly 40 km west of Goulburn. The RFS said crews remained on scene at multiple incidents across the district, working with the SES to assist affected communities, with operations expected to continue into the night.

The Goulburn SES unit confirmed the tornado was the cause of the earlier alert and reported that while Goulburn avoided direct impact, parts of Yass suffered extensive damage. Crews will continue to support the Yass unit and local residents throughout the night and into the following day.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Angus Hines warned of a broader outbreak of severe storms across eastern Australia over the weekend, with wind gusts potentially exceeding 125 km/h from north of Newcastle to north of Byron Bay. He highlighted the risk of large hail, heavy rain, flash flooding and damaging winds, urging residents to monitor updates from the bureau.

A severe thunderstorm warning remained in place at midnight on Sunday for parts of central west and northern inland NSW, while earlier warnings in Victoria's Gippsland region and Queensland’s Maranoa and Warrego areas were cancelled. Some mountainous areas of northern Victoria and southern NSW experienced wind gusts over 100 km/h on Saturday.