Mini-tornado rips roofs from homes and warehouses in Long Jetty and leaves a trail of destruction as devastating storm smashes the coast after blistering heatwave

Wild weather has devastated parts of Australia, with damaging winds ripping roofs off homes, destroying properties and leaving thousands without power.

About nine homes were damaged when devastating storms hit the Entrance and Long Jetty areas on the NSW central coast around 4pm on Saturday.

The roof of Long Jetty Automotive Engineering, located on the corner of Minto Avenue and the Central Coast Highway, was completely blown off the building, with the force of the impact also collapsing some walls.

The roof of a neighboring house burst, leaving one person trapped under the rubble.

Gabrielle Woodhouse from the Bureau of Meteorology said thunderstorms were observed across the Central Coast region throughout the day.

“This storm in particular was driven by a moist and unstable air mass that brought devastation to places like Long Jetty,” she said.

“We’re expecting showers or another thunderstorm in the west (Sunday), but at least we’ll see a little cooler weather.”

Local residents took to the Long Jetty community Facebook page to assess the damage.

“Looks like there was a tornado,” one user said.

“It was crazy, we thought our windows were going to blow out and part of the fence was going to fall down too,” said another.

A house on the NSW Central Coast had its roof blown off on Saturday afternoon after strong winds ripped the roof off a factory.

The Met Office said the damage was caused by a “severe” and “fast-moving” storm that quickly spread across the region.

Trees and power lines fell on several roads in the area as the city was hit by flash flooding.

A severe weather warning for Greater Sydney and the Illawarra was issued after a chilly change in weather occurred around midday.

Wind gusts of 70km/h are expected to hit Sydney by Saturday evening, which could rise to 90km/h this evening.

A severe thunderstorm warning, threatening large hail and damaging winds, is also in place for the forecast areas of the Hunter, South Coast, Snowy Mountains and Mid North Coast.

The severe weather comes as New South Wales swelters in 40-degree heat.

Temperatures reached 43C in Penrith and Richmond in Sydney’s west, while Badgerys Creek, Forbes and Cundobolin in the state’s central west hit 44C.

A total fire ban has also been imposed in five counties across the state, with firefighters struggling to contain dozens of fires that are burning out of control.

Health authorities previously urged the estimated 100,000 concertgoers attending events across Sydney to stay shaded and stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

The damage was caused by an “intense” and “rapidly changing” weather system after a chilly change swept through the state in the late afternoon.

Around nine properties on the NSW north coast were badly damaged (pictured) after a cold spell brought damaging winds that blew off the roofs of several homes in the area.

Damaging winds have caused flash flooding across parts of NSW’s north coast, with gusts of up to 90km/h expected in Sydney this evening.