- Up to 13,000 homes were plunged into darkness
- Taylor Swift’s arrival in Sydney was postponed
Four people have been struck by lightning near the Sydney Opera House as wild storms cause massive power outages and Taylor Swift’s private jet is delayed.
Thousands of residents on the city’s northern beaches lost power just before 1pm on Monday as heavy rain, high winds and lightning lashed the city.
Four people were rushed to hospital after being injured by lightning strikes while sitting under a tree at the Botanical Gardens at around 12.45pm.
A man in his late teens and a woman in her 20s were taken to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
A man and a woman in their 30s were taken to St Vincent’s Hospital.
It comes as Swift’s plane encountered a number of problems on its journey to Sydney, with the plane delayed by up to 30 minutes due to wild weather.
The superstar left Melbourne for Sydney around noon on Monday ahead of her next four-day run of shows on her Eras Tour.
Suburbs such as Fairlight, Manly, Balgowlah, Balgowlah Heights, North Balgowlah, Seaforth, Manly Vale, Killarney Heights and Mosman are all affected by the massive power outage
Fans take shelter under umbrellas as they arrive at Sydney Airport to welcome Swift
The pop star’s plane (pictured) was delayed by about half an hour after wild storms hit Sydney
After landing, she is expected to join a convoy of cars where she is expected to be taken to a penthouse at Crown in Barangaroo.
The pop superstar, 34, will perform four shows in Sydney from Friday before heading to Singapore.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall across much of the state.
Residents of Fairlight, Manly, Balgowlah, Balgowlah Heights, Seaforth, Manly Vale, Killarney Heights and Mosman were plunged into darkness on Monday.
Power is expected to be available again at 3pm on Monday, Ausgrid said.
More to come.
