Wild winds bring down trees, cut power in Canberra - ABC Online

Updated September 26, 2013 15:30:24

Emergency services are being kept busy as wild weather hits the Canberra region.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds as a strong cold front moves across the ACT and surrounding region.

Wind gusts of 82 kilometres per hour have been recorded in Canberra, while in Goulburn gusts have topped 102 kph.

The State Emergency Service had received 87 calls for help in the ACT and 35 calls in the Queanbeyan area by 3:30pm.

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SES spokesman Tony Graham says most calls for help have been for branches and trees across roads and pathways.

"They've been really widespread across suburban Canberra ... there's been some significant damage," said

"A home in Duntroon has had a large tree topple on top of it, there've been cars in Cook and Amaroo that have been damaged by the trees and there have been a number of trees that have come down onto powerlines."

Mr Graham expects there will be more calls for help as people return home after work.

"Our first priority is to make sure that homes are safe, and we are particularly wanting to ensure they are water tight," he said.

"Our goal is to make sure that all of our high priority jobs are tended to before dark, but we don't know what calls we might get once people return home after work."

Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve has been closed until further notice due to the high winds. The visitor centre remains open.

In New South Wales, fire crews are on high alert with wind gusts of up to 100 kilometres an hour predicted for a vast swathe of the state.

An out-of-control bushfire has shut the Pacific Highway just south of Taree on the state's mid-north coast.

A total fire ban has been declared in response to extreme to severe fire conditions in seven areas of the state.

Topics: weather, act, canberra-2600

First posted September 26, 2013 12:04:02