A rare tornado hit Ulladulla as storms swept across the Illawarra and South Coast, bringing down trees, tearing roofs of homes, and knocking down powerlines.
Footage of Saturday's tornado shared online by Brad Collins showed a swirling grey column in the near distance, followed by debris across the road, a roof of a shed that had landed on the roof of a home, and a fallen tree.
Mr Collins, who was out visiting family at the time the tornado struck, said he was "amazed" and excited by the spectacle, which "happened that quick next second it was in front of us".
Instagram user @jackirelands captured video of the tornado when it hit Ulladulla Harbour.
He sheltered inside waterfront cafe Native as powerful winds swept outdoor furniture and umbrellas along the verandah.
Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) records show that wind gusts in Ulladulla jumped from 32kmh at 1pm to 98kmh just four minutes later.
The town also received 24 millimetres of rain in the 24 hours to 9am Sunday, October 4.
NSW SES volunteers responded to 34 jobs in Ulladulla, many of which the organisation's spokesperson Emily Barton described as significant.
Two homes were deemed uninhabitable as a result of the damage they sustained in the tornado, Ms Barton said, which mostly affected properties in and around the town's CBD.
SES teams from Yass and Nowra travelled to Ulladulla to help the local volunteers with their emergency response efforts.
The BOM said tornadoes were rare in Australia.
"Most tornadoes in the country form over open areas and don't impact many people, so it's very uncommon to see one in such a populated place," the weather agency said on social media.
In 2013, a series of tornadoes ripped through Kiama, leaving destruction in their wake.
The BOM issued severe thunderstorm warnings for the Illawarra, South Coast and greater Sydney, although the warning for the Illawarra was later cancelled.
However, stormy weather in Wollongong temporarily halted the Yours and Owls music festival at Flagstaff Hill for about 45 minutes in the afternoon.
Acts stopped playing and festivalgoers were told to seek shelter until the storm passed.
In the 24 hours to 9am Sunday, October 4, the weather station at Bellambi recorded 9.6 millimetres of rain.
The inclement weather also caused damage inland.
Goulburn bore the impact of strong winds, which damaged the town's SES unit headquarters.
While the unit remains online and available to respond to emergencies, its trucks have been relocated because the doors of the unit's garage got blown off.
