A storm that swept into Canberra had the city's emergency services responding to 21 requests for help as the weather bureau issued a severe weather warning.
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Not long after rain began falling on Friday afternoon, ACT Fire & Rescue and ACT State Emergency Services began responding to calls.
The Bureau of Meteorology said severe thunderstorms were likely to bring damaging winds across the ACT over several hours, and urban areas could see gusts of 40-50 km/h on Friday night and Saturday.
By 7pm it said severe thunderstorms in the area had eased temporarily but could return.
A wind gust of 98 km/h was recorded at 5:15pm at a weather station to the north-west of the ACT, while Canberra Airport recorded a wind gust of 93km/h at 5:38pm.
There were reports a tree fell across the north-bound lanes of Northbourne Avenue, while the ACT's emergency services website showed several incidents involving electrical threat or powerlines down emerging across the city.
The ACT State Emergency Service advised that people should:
- Move cars under cover or away from trees.
- Secure or put away loose items around houses, yards and balconies.
- Keep at least eight metres away from fallen power lines or objects that may be energised, such as fences.
- Stay indoors away from windows, and keep children and pets indoors as well.
The weather bureau has predicted a very high chance of showers in the early morning and evening on Saturday, and the chance of a thunderstorm in the early morning with winds northwesterly 25 to 35 km/h increasing to 40 to 50 km/h in the morning and tending westerly 35 to 50 km/h in the evening.
