A fierce storm has ripped through Penrith, leaving behind a trail of destruction and thousands of homes without power.
The storm had been building for much of the afternoon and hit just after 5pm.
There have been hundreds of calls to help to the State Emergency Service, most related to fallen trees and leaky roofs.
Two large trees have fallen onto a house on Deloraine Drive, Leonay. Trees also fell onto power lines at Watsonia Street, Emu Plains.
The Nepean Village Shopping Centre has also been impacted, with the ceiling collapsing and multiple shops with water coming through the roof.
The storm has also caused havoc on the roads, which were even busier than normal due to the rail network being shut down.
All northbound lanes on Castlereagh Road near Andrews Road are closed due to fallen wires. One of two southbound lanes are also closed and motorists are advised to use an alternate route.
#BREAKING: #Penrith, and surrounding areas, have recently been hit by a violent storm.
More than 19 millimeters of rain has fallen in just over 15 minutes, with the area hit hard by hail and winds of up to 91 kilometers per hour. #9News pic.twitter.com/9jqSpGOVWD
— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) February 21, 2022
Penrith recorded a wind gust of 91km/h during the height of the storm and more than 15mm of rain fell in just a few minutes.
Power is out to around 5000 homes around the Emu Plains and Leonay area and traffic lights are blacked out at the Great Western Highway and Russell Street intersection.
The Dan Murphy’s store at Emu Plains experienced water damage and was forced to close early.
And the storm activity may not be over for the night, with another storm tracking towards Penrith and potentially arriving later tonight.
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.