Helicopter goes missing in wild winds that have stripped 40,000 Sydney homes and businesses of power and ripped the roof off an apartment building
- Wild winds had cut power to 40,000 homes across Sydney on Friday evening
- A roof was also ripped off an apartment block at Mount Druitt in Sydney's west
- Huge gum tree fell on the Hume Highway leaving motorist in a serious condition
- Winds of up to 100k/h were recorded at Penrith and 96k/h at Badgery's Creek
- A helicopter went missing after it faded off the radar near Nelson Bay
A helicopter has gone missing after it faded off the radar and a roof has been ripped off an apartment block as wild winds rip through Sydney.
At least 40,000 homes and businesses have been left without power across the Macarthur, north eastern Sydney, Penrith, Hawkesbury and Blue Mountain regions on Friday evening.
Emergency services are searching for a missing helicopter that faded off the radar near Nelson Bay about 6.30pm.
Marine Rescue NSW and police are searching the vicinity surrounding Anna Bay, NSW police have confirmed.
Power outages have also been reported around Hornsby, upper North Shore and suburbs in Sydney's south.
Wind speeds of up to 100km/h were recorded in Perth in Sydney's west, 96km/h in Badgery's creek and 93km/h at Sydney airport.
At least 40,000 homes have been left without power and a roof ripped off an apartment block as wild winds rip through Sydney (pictured, a tree fell on a car following the wild winds in Sydney on Friday evening)
A roof was ripped off a Mount Druitt apartment block in western Sydney with debris blown across the road and shutting down Beames Avenue
'It looks like the top of the building is exposed and one large part is hanging precariously off the side,' one witness told 2GB
The gale force winds brought down trees on power lines with as many 230 electrical hazards reported.
A roof was ripped off a Mount Druitt apartment block in western Sydney with debris blown across the road and shutting down Beames Avenue.
'It looks like the top of the building is exposed and one large part is hanging precariously off the side,' one witness told 2GB.
An iron roof was also lifted off a building on Botany Road in Alexandria and sparked a response from NSW Fire and Rescue crews.
A large gum tree fell onto the busy Hume Highway in Warwick Farm closing the highway in both directions and leaving four people injured.
A woman was taken to Liverpool Hospital in a serious condition while three men remain in a stable condition.
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An eastbound lane on the busy highway has reopened as crews work quickly to clear the debris.
'Traffic through the area is heavy so motorists are still advised to allow plenty of extra travel time,' a Transport Management Centre spokesperson told Sydney Morning Herald.
'As well, some Route 904 buses are diverting away from the Hume Highway and are using Orange Grove Road, Cabramatta Road and Copeland Street instead, missing eight stops. Buses in the Liverpool area are delayed up to 40 minutes due to the heavy traffic.'
Residents have since taken to social media to share photos of the damage left behind from the destructive winds.
One woman posted an image of the trampoline blown upside down and sitting ontop of a bent clotheslines in her backyard at St Claire
One woman posted an image of the trampoline blown upside down and sitting ontop of a bent clotheslines in her backyard at St Claire.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for damaging and locally destructive winds for most of the New South Wales coast from Eden in the south to Tenterfield.
BoM has warned peak gusts of up to 125k/h could hit the Illawarra, Sydney Metropolitan and Hunter districts later in the evening.
Alpine areas above 1,900 metres could record wind gusts of up to 120k/h on Saturday morning.
The wild winds are expected to ease in the eastern part of the state on Sunday.
