The aftermath of a severe thunderstorm that made its way through Canberra 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. Various agencies are pulling together on Saturday, December 9, to help clean up and restore power to affected areas.
An ACT State Emergency Service spokesperson said they received more than 600 requests since the storm hit the region.
"Teams from ACTSES, ACT Rural Fire Service, ACT Fire & Rescue, TCCS and ACT Parks and Conservation Service have completed nearly half of these jobs so far," the spokesperson said.
NSWSES have also arrived to help with the storm response.
Evatt's Alison Hartigan was shaken up after a 50-year-old verge tree was knocked down and smashed the car parked in their driveway
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 over flooded, their neighbours came running outside to check on each other.
The SES said calls for tree removals are continuing and have their hands full with clean up requests.
"The ACTSES must prioritise jobs that threaten community safety. Please be patient as crews from multiple agencies work through the high number of requests," the agency said.
"ACTESA will be providing regular updates on our emergency response progress and work underway to assist with recovery."
The ACT Emergency Services Agency believe 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, December 8, 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.
"Today our priority is working with our vegetation contractors to remove trees on powerlines so we can then repair the extent of the damage," an ESA statement 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."
The agency said they would work on restoration but it was possible that many customers would not have power until Sunday or even Monday, December 11.
"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 slight chance of showers and another thunderstorm is forecast for Saturday afternoon.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicted winds to be northwesterly between 25 to 35kmh decreasing in the late afternoon then shifting southeasterly (between 15 and 25kmh) in the evening.
