HIT BY TORNADO

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 107, 1 November 1940, Page 8

HIT BY TORNADO

SYDNEY BATTERED

TWO DEATHS CAUSED

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Received November 1, 1 p.m.)

SYDNEY, This Day,

One of the most violent storms on record struck Sydney yesterday. It was described by the State Meteorologist as a "tornadic squall." A pylon of the Harbour Bridge was struck by lightning, causing a block of masonry to fall. It narrowly missed a policeman. A boy aged 5 was killed by a lorry while running to shelter. Many people weje injured, both in Sydney and in Dubbo, the western wheat

centre,

Just before the storm broke a huge waterspout was seen racing up the coast.

SYDNEY, October 31

A most violent storm of brief duration struck the metropolitan area at 3.15 o'clock this afternoon and did extensive damage.

The storm was heralded by a sudden oppressiveness, heavy black clouds plunging the city in semi-dark-ness. Then came a tornado-like southwesterly gale at 94 miles an hour, carrying paper and debris high into the heavens.

It lifted the roofs off the railway sheds at Home Bush and Rozelle, bringing down awnings, fences, trees, chimneys, and overhead power lines in various suburbs. Traffic in the city was practically brought to a standstill and some of the electric train services were disorganised.

Trams and motor-cars were compelled to turn on their lights as a safety precaution in the semi-darkness, which was repeatedly illuminated by vivid flashes of lightning

A crane at a coal siding at Ball's Head crashed, imprisoning the engineer in the cabin.

Cottages at Kensington and Concord and some of the northern suburbs were unroofed and fires were started by fallen electric wires. A mystery explosion resembling a fireball occurred in the shopping centre of Naremburn suburb and considerably damaged two shops. Fences collapsed over a wide area.

(Received November 1, 8 a.m.)

SYDNEY, This Day,

The engineer who was trapped in the cabin of a coal crane was found to be crushed to death. Another man on whom a fence fell in an outer suburb received a fractured skull, and several people had very narrow escapes from flying debris and roof iron. Stationary motor-cars were badly damaged beneath collapsed awnings at Neutral Bay and Mosman. Driving rain fell during the height of the storm.

A report from Dubbo states that the tornado wrought havoc in the township, causing damage estimated at £100,000 in 20 minutes. Many modern homes, and also shops, offices, and factories were unroofed, and power lines brought down. The roads and streets are littered with roof tiles and iron. The Dubbo grain sheds were practically wrecked.