A second man dies during storms in Sydney

On Wednesday afternoon, a Sydney emergency services volunteer collapsed and died while he was working at Illawarra.

"This is a tragic event and my deepest condolences go out to his family and friends," said Minister of Emergency Services Troy Grant in a statement.

"My thoughts and prayers also go to all the emergency services," he said.

Earlier Wednesday, another man died in a collision of two cars in Thornleigh.

A police officer also broke his leg when a tree fell on his police car while she and her partner were in North Ryde, where the drivers had unsuccessfully attempted to cross a flooded road around 6:45.

A low pressure system caused havoc for commuters and emergency services on Wednesday morning.

On Wednesday, the SES responded to nearly 1,000 calls, mainly due to storm damage and falling trees.

Frustrated emergency services urged NSW drivers to slow down or avoid all non-essential trips in the afternoons.

NSW's acting superintendent of ambulances, Steve Vaughan, said paramedics attended four times the normal number of road accidents on Wednesday.

"Everyone has a place to go, but if there is water in front of the floods, stay out of it," he told reporters.

Several roads, including the Anzac Bridge, were closed or cut on one lane, while hundreds of rail or air services were canceled, including 150 flights to or from Sydney Airport.

At 6 pm, 23 evening flights were canceled and 40 more delayed.

Mosman recorded more than 142 mm of rain, while Chatswood had 124 mm, of which 89 mm in one hour.

Nearly 100 mm fell at Observatory Hill in Sydney's central business district between 6 am and 8 am – easily exceeding the November average of 83.8 mm.

While the capital was largely spared after 10 am, parts of Shoalhaven received more than 150 mm in the six hours to 15 hours.

Justin Robertson, chief hydrologist for NSW / ACT at BoM, said that a minor flood warning was being issued for the Cooks River and that other rivers were under surveillance. but minor streams and urban environments may experience sudden floods.

In Sydney and the Hunter region, more than 10,000 homes and businesses lost their electricity due to falling trees, lightning strikes and flood damaged wiring.

About 3,800 people were still in the dark in the middle of the afternoon and by 6:00 pm, Ausgrid was still working to restore power to 1,500 homes.

Ausgrid teams responded to more than 120 hazards, including felled trees and power lines, on the grid.

A spillway overflowing the Parramatta River resulted in the cancellation of ferries between Sydney Olympic Park and Parramatta, while Cockatoo Island was also closed.

Rail services in western West were canceled due to stagnant water and north shore trains were limited, the overhead wiring having been repaired after the fall of 39; ;a tree.

Severe thunderstorm warnings in the event of heavy precipitation, strong winds and heavy hail are still present in the Sydney and Illawarra metropolitan areas as well as in parts of the Hunter, South Coast, Central Tablelands regions. and Southern Platelands.

Once the system is installed at sea, it should crush the coast with high winds and dangerous waves throughout the day on Thursday.