Wild weather lashes Sydney, NSW - Sydney Morning Herald

• Send us your photos: scoop@smh.com.au; Twitter: @smh

Six people have been injured, including a woman hit by lightning, as severe thunderstorms and gale-force winds hit a large swathe of NSW on Tuesday.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned storms and were likely to continue into the evening for a large portion of NSW, including the mid north Coast, Hunter, Northern Tablelands and parts of the North West Slopes and Plains Forecast Districts.

At 4.30pm, the NSW State Emergency Service were responding to 441 jobs across the Sydney area, including a roof that was ripped off Father John Therry School at Balmain, a collapsed verandah at Newtown and structural damage to a Kincumber retirement village.

At Bondi, the Sculpture by the Sea exhibition on the coastal walk was closed due to high winds, with all visitors being evacuated. The exhibition is expected to re-open in the morning.

Ian Krimmer of Fire and Rescue NSW said strong winds caused havoc in Sydney and about 15 crews were responding to incidents.

"Right across the Sydney metropolitan area we have numerous reports of trees down, wires [affected]. We have several roofs being impacted on buildings. We've got a loose window in Pitt Street. We're checking out a crane at Bankstown," he told Fairfax Radio.

AAP reported a woman had been struck by lightning, though did not confirm where.

An elderly couple have been trapped at Lansvale in Sydney’s southwest, with a tree falling on their car.

An ambulance spokeswoman says power lines came down in the accident and the couple were stuck for half an hour before being released and taken to Liverpool Hospital with possible neck, back and limb injuries.

Trees and powerlines have also fallen on three people at Engadine, while a woman in her 40s has also escaped relatively unscathed after being struck by lightning outside her home on the Central Coast.

Sydney’s weather will calm down significantly tomorrow,’’ said Rob Sharpe, meterologist Weather Zone. ‘‘We will see the return of much lighter winds and another cool day ahead with a top of 22 degrees.’’

- with AAP