Sydney Airport flights suspended due to strong winds
Strong winds continue to cause flight delays and cancellations at Sydney Airport, which is currently operating on a single runway. Just before 8am Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST), 26 departures were canceled in addition to 23 arrivals, which is more than a quarter of flights in both directions.
All runways at Sydney Airport are closed except one
At 10.30 in the morning, the airport closed all of its runways except for one, and as of 4 in the afternoon, aircraft were still impacted. It is anticipated that the stormy weather will continue through the night, which will result in a thirty-minute delay for airplane arrivals.
Leaving flights are also experiencing significant delays, with incoming planes being delayed by an average of 13 minutes this morning, compared to a delay of an average of six minutes for departures despite wind gusts reaching 61 kilometers per hour (38 miles per hour).
According to a representative for Sydney Airport, "Yesterday evening, Airservices Australia informed airlines that one runway could be operated today due to the potentially strong winds at the airport."As a direct consequence of this, a number of airlines have made the decision to combine their respective service offerings.
Today, passengers are encouraged to get in touch with their respective airlines in order to confirm the status of their flights.This morning, the State Emergency Service (SES) warned that portions of the state might be hit by damaging winds of more than 90 kilometers per hour, including the Central and Southern Ranges, coastal parts of the Illawarra, and the South Coast.
Wind gusts of 102 kilometers
As of eleven o'clock last night, wind speeds of up to 126 kilometers per hour were recorded in Thredbo, while gusts of up to 102 kilometers per hour were recorded in Murrurundi Gap and up to 98 kilometers per hour were recorded at Scone in the Hunter region.
Since the start of this weather event, volunteers with the New South Wales State Emergency Service (NSW SES) have responded to a total of 421 calls for assistance. Of these, 250 calls were received in the 24 hours leading up to 11 p.m., which is when the service officially closed for the day.
Rain hits the states in Australia
An image captured by satellite in recent days shows a band of rain that stretches across multiple states in eastern Australia, highlighting the abrupt change from sweltering heat to heavy downpours that has taken place throughout a large portion of eastern Australia.
As a result of the destructive fires that have occurred in both New South Wales and Victoria, various weather warnings have been issued for wind, rain, and flooding in both states. Additionally, urgent flood warnings have been issued in eastern Victoria.
According to Weatherzone: "Spring storms in subtropical regions tend to form where warm and cold air masses meet, and the background colors indicate the large difference in temperatures between north-eastern New South Wales and the rest of the state on either side of the rain band."
