A man has died after he was struck by a tree during a series of storms that have lashed New South Wales.
The 76-year-old was hit by the tree about 1pm at a property on Glenworth Valley Road at Glenworth Valley.
NSW Police confirmed paramedics tried to assist the man but he could not be saved.
The storm was one of a series that have left a swathe of damage across the state’s Central West, Central Coast, Hunter, Illawarra and Sydney regions.
Power was cut to 75,000 properties as heavy rain and strong winds tore down trees and electricity lines.
A man in his 20s suffered multiple injuries when a tree fell on his car during a “ferocious” storm that hit Orange just before midday, where wind gusts of 110 kilometres per hour were recorded.
SES crews are responding to dozens of reports of trees down following a wild storm at Orange. (ABC Central West: Joanna Woodburn)
Emergency services had to free the man from his car on Lower Lewis Ponds Road and Ambulance NSW said he sustained leg, head and chest injuries.
The storm caused large tree limbs to smash into Kerry Taberner’s garden fence.
“It was pretty bad. The wind has blown everything, the rain was so thick, and then all of a sudden you just started seeing things blowing down,” Ms Taberner said.
“It’s smashed [our] fence, just missed the caravan and the trampoline was upside down and on top of the clothesline.”
A man has been airlifted to hospital after a tree fell on his vehicle during a storm near Orange. (ABC Central West: Hamish Cole)
Eastern states to get day of extreme heat, winds and storms
Wind gusts of 119 km/h were recorded at Nobby’s Head in Newcastle shortly after 2pm.
In the Hunter Valley town of Kurri Kurri, strong winds blew off a roof in the town’s main street, nearly hitting those in nearby cars.
Lisa Zammit, who manages a bakery in the town’s main street, said the storm came out of nowhere and left a trail of destruction.
“It sort of  hit us quite suddenly… and then we had a lot of sheeting off a roof… no one knows where it’s from yet and it’s still laying on the road.
“There’s mangled metal and pieces of wood with big nails sticking out.”
It came as the state sweltered through a scorching day with Gosford and Williamtown 12 degrees Celsius above average at 37C and 38C respectively.
Sydney was 11C above average at 34C — making it the warmest November day in five years.
Storm clouds roll in over Sydney Harbour, with the city also being hit by wild weather. (ABC News: Timothy Ailwood)
Several days of clean-up expected
The State Emergency Service (SES) said it had received more than 250 calls for assistance within a few hours of the first storms hitting, with 120 of those in Orange.
The storm cell brought gusts of 109 kilometres per hour at the Orange Airport about lunchtime, leaving a swathe of damage from fallen trees.
The storm from Parramatta in Sydney’s west on Wednesday. (ABC News: Liam Patrick)
SES Deputy Zone Commander Joshua Clarke said the clean-up was going to take several days.
“Quite a ferocious, vicious storm that didn’t produce significant amounts of rain as such, but certainly packed a punch in terms of the very strong, damaging winds,” Mr Clarke said.
SES crews were also called to major damage in the town of Nevertire, west of Dubbo, with reports of roofs being blown off and structural damage to buildings from trees falling down.
Emergency services have sealed off some areas for safety where trees came down during the storm. (ABC Central West: Tim Fookes)
In St Marys in Sydney’s west, a tree fell on a house and caused serious damage and a gas leak.
Fire and Rescue NSW said there were no reports of injuries after the property was evacuated, but were investigating if anyone was trapped in a granny flat.
Authorities were on scene to turn off the gas as surrounding houses were also evacuated.
‘Catastrophic’ conditions, fire bansLoading…
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said damaging winds and large hailstones had been reported near Cessnock, Pokolbin and the Wollemi National Park near Singleton.
Damage after a tree fell onto a fence at Doonside, near Sydney’s Blacktown. (ABC News: Gary-Jon Lysaght)
“Unfortunately, this summer weather for Australia has come in early and hard,” BOM senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said.
The storms come on the same day as severe and catastrophic fire conditions gripped the state.
Total fire bans were in place in 11 RFS districts, and a catastrophic fire danger was in force for the lower central west plains.
RFS Deputy Commissioner Ben Millington said hot conditions were expected to pose a threat.
“We are expecting to see warm conditions right through to Sunday. So, Total Fire Bans in different parts of the state are possible over the next couple of days.”