Rare tornadoes strike New South Wales, damaging properties in Caragabal

While tornadoes are a relatively rare occurrence in Australia, with around 10 to 20 sightings reported annually, September 10 proved to be an exceptional day as multiple tornadoes were reported in New South Wales (NSW).

The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed the occurrence of a tornado in Tubbul, along with a second one a short time later in Caragabal. It also received unconfirmed reports of a third tornado in Cowra.

A tornado was sighted in the South Western Slopes region of NSW as storms swept through the state on September 10. It was observed by a Rural Fire Service lookout at around 15:30 local time (LT) in Tubbul, near Young.

The tornado in Caragabal destroyed a farm shed and ripped the roof off a nearby house, damaging 90% of the property.

While no one was injured, the farmer, Wade Death, told ABC News that he had been standing in the shed only minutes before the tornado tore through it, adding he never thought a storm could destroy the shed.

“There’s 12 posts … with massive amounts of concrete, and it’s just either snapped the I-beam off or pulled the concrete out of the ground,” he said.

The twister left corrugated iron sheets strewn across his 5 km (3 mile) property, damaged farm equipment, and injured some livestock.

A third report came from Cowra, where resident Eleanor Webster captured a possible tornado in her area at around 14:00 LT on September 10.

“I was outside in the garden and we got this sort of small cloud come across,” said Webster. “It got very windy and the clouds were swirling, and after maybe 30 seconds it sort of moved across the front of the house, and then it started to drop a funnel.”