High winds have been causing headaches for firefighters this afternoon with a number of grass fires in the area.
Spring has arrived with force, with a grass fire along the M4 Motorway at Erskine Park forcing the closure of the busy road in both directions just after lunchtime.
The M4 has since reopened.
Meantime, fire crews have been kept busy along Roper Road at Colyton, with traffic also stopped there for a period while they battled a separate blaze.
The winds are causing traffic lights to be blacked out across parts of Sydney, while fallen trees are also becoming an issue.
“Ausgrid emergency crews are attending locations across Sydney, Newcastle and the Hunter region, as high winds bring down trees and some power poles, and blow tree branches into wires,” an Ausgrid spokesperson said.
“Ausgrid is reminding customers if they see fallen or damaged powerlines, always assume they are live, please stay at least 8m away and to call Ausgrid’s emergency hotline on 13 13 88.
“High winds are expected to continue until early evening.”
The strong winds have interrupted power to 34,000 homes and businesses in Endeavour Energy’s network, with more than 80 incidents requiring repair.
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.