Arabic version: البَرَد يكسو واوتشوب بعد عواصف شديدة في نيو ساوث ويلز

According to ABC News, severe storms swept across New South Wales’s Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers, leaving parts of Wauchope under thick hail that residents said resembled snow. The State Emergency Service responded to 125 call-outs, with more than 70 in the Wauchope area.

Sandra Hanson of the Wauchope Rural Supply Store said hail damaged the shop and its stock. She said guttering could not cope with the hail, allowing water into the building as staff moved stock from shelves.

Mid North Coast SES deputy zone commander Tony Day said crews completed all but nine jobs by the evening. Crews from Newcastle were due to arrive to assist with the remaining work and help manage fatigue among local responders. Many requests involved roof damage, blocked gutters, water entering properties, fallen trees and downed powerlines.

Storms also caused significant damage in the Lower Clarence towns of Yamba and Iluka. SES zone commander Ian Leckie said crews were called to assist 33 home owners. Reported damage included collapsed walls, roofs blown off, damaged pool fences and garage doors, and homes affected by water.

Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said an upper-atmosphere chill contributed to heavy rain and prolonged falls of small hail near Wauchope. He said hail was generally 1–2 centimetres, with some reports up to 3 centimetres, and that the accumulation made the ground look like snow.