A tornado with wind speeds of more than 200 kilometres per hour hit Sydney on Wednesday, ripping off roofs in southern coastal suburbs, causing flash flooding and pelting the city with hail the size of golf balls, broadcaster ABC reported, according to dpa. The tornado, with winds among the fastest ever recorded in Sydney, was part of a wide storm front that lashed the New South Wales south coast and Sydney before moving north, causing localized flooding and damage to property. At Bondi Junction, in the city's east, shoppers and staff were evacuated from a Westfield shopping centre after the roof partially collapsed during heavy rain, reports said. At Sydney airport, flights in and out were delayed, and, as traffic approaching the airport slowed to a crawl, many people hoping to make flights left their cars about a kilometre from the airport and carried their luggage to the terminals through the storm. Commuters across the city were stranded as flooding cut roads, traffic lights were blacked out, and trees and fences crashed onto major highways. Despite the widespread damage, there were no reports of serious injury from the storm.
