Australia Weather News

A woman has died after being struck by a falling tree branch in Sydney's south-west on Sunday afternoon as cold and damaging winds sweep across New South Wales.

The woman, believed to be in her 60s, was hit on Castlereagh Street in Liverpool about 1pm. She has not been formally identified.

Emergency services attended the scene and the woman was treated by paramedics but she was not able to be revived.

Local Eli said it was really windy when he went outside after hearing police cars.

"It was a shocking sight. We were inside and heard the police car and came outside and saw this," he said.

Another witness said he initially thought the woman had fallen over.

"But then the next thing we saw [was] the branch there next to her," he said.

"We didn't see it falling down but that's what we saw on the ground."

Police said the incident was under investigation and a report would be prepared for the coroner.

The Bureau of Meteorology's Gabrielle Woodhouse said while western parts of Sydney had not experienced the same level of wind activity as areas near the coast, it had still been "reasonably breezy". 

"We've seen wind gusts of around 60 to 70 kilometres an hour during the afternoon in the western suburbs," the senior meteorologist said.

"And that situation will persist for the afternoon and into the early part of the evening."

The main "watch period" for the winds is until 8pm on Sunday, according to Adam Williams from the NSW State Emergency Service (SES).

The SES has received 25 calls for assistance, and a total of 56 requests since midnight on Sunday for storm-related damage.

The majority of calls (41) came from metropolitan Sydney, with the Randwick, Bayside and Ku-rin-gai council areas the most affected.

"We have had incidents of trees down, branches down, roof tiles coming off roofs and metal sheeting coming loose, so these winds definitely have the capability to do things like that," Mr Williams said.

Rough swells, freezing temperatures  

Earlier on Sunday in the state's south, winds speeds reached 91 kilometres per hour at Montague Island, off the coastal town of Narooma, and up to 70 kilometres at Ulladulla.

Sydney Airport recorded speeds above 70kph, while Wattamolla was hit with 98kph gusts and Newcastle's Nobbys Beach 89kph.

A wind and hazardous warning for the state's coast was cancelled late on Sunday night.

Rough swells due to the winds have reached maximum heights between 9 and 10 metres at the Sydney offshore waverider buoy.

The cold snap brought overnight snow and freezing temperatures to parts of the state.

Orange dropped to -2 degrees Celsius and Thredbo -8C, while Kosciuszko also experienced temperatures below zero, with -11C expected about 10pm.

Ms Woodhouse said the winds were expected to weaken later tonight.  

"That's going to be the story throughout much of the rest of the week," she said.

"A little bit less wind around and we will start to see those temperatures warm up as well."

On Monday however, another "little cod front or trough" is due to develop that will brush the coast, bringing fresher winds to Sydney. However, they will not be as strong as Sunday.