More than 60,000 are still without power across NSW. Photo: Supplied/NSW SES
Thousands of homes across Western Sydney are still without power and several schools are closed, after storms ripped through parts New South Wales, Australia.
As of Thursday morning, 63,000 properties around NSW were experiencing power outages, after the wild weather events.
Most of those without power were in Western Sydney, with Endeavour Energy reporting 35,207 customers there impacted.
AusGrid said 16,827 homes, mostly on the Central Coast and in Newcastle, were still experiencing outages.
A total of 11,000 properties in the state's central west, New England, Central Tablelands, South Coast, Mid North and South Coast were also without power.
"Due to a total fire ban set by fire authorities, crews must fully inspect the powerlines, before restoring power for bushfire prevention," Essential Energy said.
"Helicopters were used in some areas to patrol the powerlines late yesterday to help speed up this process.
"This takes extra time, so please prepare for potential extended power outages."
Borenore Public School, Nashdale Public School and Spring Hill Public School, near Orange, and Holy Spirit Primary School in Kurri Kurri are all closed on Thursday.
Rooty Hill High School in Sydney was also closed.
The storms saw train-lines across Sydney impacted on Wednesday, although Transport for NSW said rail services had returned to a normal timetable for Thursday's peak hour.
The NSW SES continues to clean up storm damage and respond to more than 2260 calls for assistance. Photo: Supplied/SES
Eight-hundred volunteers from NSW State Emergency Service responded to 2260 calls for help in 24 hours, as the clean-up across the state began. Most callouts were from metropolitan Sydney.
The busiest SES unit in the state was in Blacktown, where 350 storm-related calls were made, while crews in Orange responded to 170 reports.
Residents at Neverite, west of Dubbo, reported entire roofs being blown off homes and sheds. The clean-up there is expected to take several days, the SES said.
With temperatures expected to remain in the 30s for large swathes of the state on Thursday, an extreme level fire risk meant a total fire ban in several parts of NSW.
Those under the total fire ban were Moree, Narrabri, the Warrumbungles, the Greater Hunter, Greater Sydney, Lithgow, Bathurst and Orange.
- ABC
