Winds hit east coast, Tassie prepares for more floods

Savannah Meacham |

High winds lashed the NSW coast on Sunday generating damaging surf conditions.
High winds lashed the NSW coast on Sunday generating damaging surf conditions.

A woman has been killed by a falling tree branch and a hiker has been rescued as high winds bear down on NSW.

But another state is also preparing for a dangerous weather event just weeks after major flooding.

Damaging winds were blasting along eastern NSW on Sunday with gusts up to 100km/h from the south coast to the mid north coast.

A woman, believed to be in her 60s, was struck by a falling tree branch during the gusty conditions about 1pm in Liverpool, southwest of the city’s CBD.

A 61-year-old man hiking to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko in the NSW Snowy Mountains was reported missing about 5.30pm on Saturday.

A public appeal for information was launched and a geo-targeted SMS was issued as emergency services rushed to find him in the chilly temperatures.

“Police held serious concerns for the man’s welfare due to extremely challenging overnight conditions with snow, wind and poor visibility,” they said in a statement.

Emergency services searched through the night and around 9.30am on Sunday a member of the public found the man on the Alpine Way at Thredbo.

Snow guns running during sunrise at Thredbo
A 61-year-old man spent the night out in sub-zero conditions at Thredbo in the Snowy Mountains. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)

 He was assessed by paramedics and found to be cold but unharmed.

As the damaging winds bore down on NSW, Tasmania was preparing for the possibility of further flooding.

A warning was issued for the Huon River at Tahune Bridge to Judbury and surrounds, south of Hobart.

The Bureau of Meteorology said on Sunday afternoon the water level there was 1.2 metres but could reach the minor flood level of four metres early Monday morning.

A very high chance of rain is forecast for the area through Sunday evening and Monday.

Flooding along the River Derwent at New Norfolk in early September
Areas of southern Tasmania are again facing the prospect of flooding. (Ethan James/AAP PHOTOS)

Residents near the river were warned of likely inundation affecting low-lying properties in the following 24 hours with the possibility of isolation.

Property, livestock, equipment and crops could be hit by floodwaters and driving conditions could become dangerous, the bureau said.

Record flooding swamped residents along the southeast of the Derwent River in Tasmania earlier this month, submerging roads and properties.

AAP