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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
Jessica Belzycki

Windy weather hits the Hunter as spring begins

After a windy weekend, the Hunter is not clear of gusty conditions just yet, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) warns.

The weekend recorded average wind speeds of 60 to 70 kmh at Williamtown and Nobbys weather stations with strong winds persisting today, Monday September 2.

As of 11am today, the BOM had a severe weather warning in place for damaging winds in parts of the Hunter including Newcastle and Maitland.

Meteorologist Jiwon Park said the region could expect mean wind speeds between 40 to 60 kmh with peak gusts potentially reaching up to 90 kmh.

"If gusts reach up to 90 kmh it can cause some tree damages and potentially broken power lines," Mr Park said.

A BOM marine wind warning for gale winds is also in place for Monday and Tuesday on the Hunter Coast.

NSW state emergency service (SES) said they responded to 44 calls for assistance across the Central Coast, Hunter, Newcastle and Mid North Coast since midnight on Monday.

They were called to "several storm related incidents including trees down, dislodged roof tiles, and minor storm damage to properties".

Aspect Hunter School in Thornton gave kids an half an hour early mark given the strong winds and potential risk posed by large gumtrees that surround the school.

A Newcastle Airport spokesperson said while no flights had been cancelled due to the wind, travellers might experience some minor bumps during flights.

"As part of standard operations, we are constantly monitoring weather (including windspeed). Any weather that is likely to affect flights taking off/landing will be published as an alert on our Facebook page," the spokesperson said.

The Rural Fire Service (RFS) was conducting several hazard reduction burns today in Cessnock, Dungog, Lake Munmorah and Dora Creek.

Still and clear conditions

Since Wednesday August 28, NSW had seen several cold fronts that triggered windy conditions, Mr Park said.

He said the cold front was crossing eastern NSW today, and would pass into the Tasman Sea by tomorrow.

"We expect wind warning conditions to continue for the remainder of today but tomorrow we expect a significant easing of the winds," he said.

A potential high pressure system during the mid-week would also cause weaker winds, he said.

Cooler temperatures were forecast for the next few days with Tuesday September 3 predicted to reach a maximum of 20 degrees.

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