The aftermath of a severe thunderstorm that made its way through Canberra on Friday night has revealed widespread damage and led to calls for help across the city.
Uprooted trees, smashed cars and caved roofs are among the significant destruction that occurred.
The clean-up will continue on Sunday after various agencies, including some from NSW, pulled together on Saturday to help mop up and restore power to affected areas.
ACT Emergency Services Agency were grateful for continued support of emergency crews and support agencies as as they joined forces to respond to almost 900 calls for assistance.
"Our crews, along with support from our NSW colleagues have been able to complete almost 400 callouts and will continue to work into the night," a spokesperson said on Saturday night.
About 200 households were expected to be still without power on Sunday morning "due to the complexity of damage caused by the storm".
Evoenergy is communicating directly with those affected, hoping to have all power restored by 5pm on Sunday.
A community support hub at the Melba Copland College will be open from 10am to 3pm on Sunday with facilities for food disposal, charging stations and bags of ice for those that continue to be without power.
Belconnen Library on 12 Chandler Street will also open from 9am on Sunday so anyone needing to charge devices or spend some time in the air-conditioning can do so.
The ESA said the ACTSES had to prioritise jobs threatening community safety, like clearing roads, footpaths and cycle paths.
"We anticipate that our focus will continue to be on our Priority 1 calls for at least the next 48 hours," an ESA spokesperson said at 4.30pm on Saturday.
"Please be patient as crews from multiple agencies work through the high number of requests for assistance."
In Evatt, Alison Hartigan was shaken up after a 50-year-old verge tree was knocked down and smashed the car parked in their driveway during the storm.
The top half of the large tree went through her neighbour's fence, on to their roof and scraped down the side of their house.
She said her husband didn't hear the tree fall because the "scary" storm was raging loudly.
"I have been frightened about that tree for a very long time - I'm worried about the damage - I guess I no longer have to ask 'what if' every time I see it now," Hartigan said.
As the intense weather carried on and gutters overflowed, their neighbours came running outside to check on each other.
The ESA believes high soil moisture may cause more downed trees even though the weather has improved.
"Please take care near large trees, and while driving on ACT roads," a spokesperson said.
Thousands of homes experienced blackouts during the storm on Friday, but ACTESA said they were able to restore power to more than 7000 of them overnight.
There were still 800 homes without power in the city's northern suburbs the following morning, the agency said.
"It is really important to treat all powerlines as live and stay at least 10 metres away from powerlines and anything touching them, like fences. Call us on 13 10 93 if you are unsure they have been reported," an ESA statement said.
The agency said they would work on restoration but it was possible many customers would not have power until Sunday or even Monday.
"We will provide more updates as they're available. We know extended outages are not ideal, and we appreciate everyone's patience and support while our crews do all they can to repair the network," the ESA said.
Saturday's top of 37 degrees is said to be the peak of an ongoing heatwave. It has prompted the ESA to take extra precautions with their working crews and issue advice to community members.
"The ACTESA is asking residents without electricity in these conditions to be mindful of the potential health risks and consider finding shelter in a cooler environment like a shopping centre," the statement said.
A top of 29 degrees and a chance of a possibly severe thunderstorm during the afternoon and early evening is forecast for Sunday.
A week of high temperatures is expected, with every day until Saturday predicted to have a maximum of at least 30 degrees, peaking with a maximum of 33 degrees on Wednesday.
