Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology New South Wales TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST Severe Weather Warning for Damaging Winds for South Coast and parts of Illawarra, Southern Tablelands, Snowy Mountains and South West Slopes Forecast Districts. Issued at 4:45 pm Thursday, 9 April 2026. Damaging winds for elevated parts of the southeast from Thursday evening, possibly extending to the coast Friday morning. Weather Situation Northwesterly winds aloft will increase during this evening ahead of an approaching cold front. Winds will begin to ease and tend westerly following the passage of the front Friday afternoon. DAMAGING WINDS for the following areas: Illawarra, South Coast, Southern Tablelands, South West Slopes and Snowy Mountains For the SNOWY MOUNTAINS above 1400 metres: DAMAGING NORTHWESTERLY WINDS averaging 60 to 70 km/h with peak gusts around 100 km/h are likely to develop from late Thursday evening. For ALPINE PEAKS above 1900 metres: DAMAGING NORTHWESTERLY WINDS averaging 80 to 90 km/h with peak gusts of around 115 km/h are likely to develop during Thursday evening. For the SOUTH EAST COASTAL RANGES: DAMAGING NORTHWESTERLY WINDS averaging 60 to 70 km/h with peak gusts around 100 km/h are likely to develop from Friday morning after sunrise. For the SOUTH COAST: DAMAGING WIND GUSTS with peak gusts of around 90 km/h are possible from Bega to Ulladulla during Friday morning. Winds are expected to ease in the Snowy Mountains by early Friday afternoon and the South East Coastal Ranges by Friday evening. Locations which may be affected include Batemans Bay, Braidwood, Bega, Moruya Heads, Ulladulla and Narooma. The State Emergency Service advises that people should: * Park your car under secure cover and away from trees, powerlines and drains. * Secure or put away loose items around your house, yard and balcony. * Keep at least 8 metres away from fallen power lines or objects that may be energised, such as fences. * Report fallen power lines to either Ausgrid (131 388), Endeavour Energy (131 003), Essential Energy (132 080) or Evoenergy (131 093) as shown on your power bill. For emergency help in flood and storms, ring the SES on 132 500. Stay updated on the Hazards Near Me NSW app or the ACT ESA website (https://esa.act.gov.au). The next Severe Weather Warning will be issued by 11:00 pm AEST Thursday. Check https://www.bom.gov.au/weather-and-climate/warnings-and-alerts. Warnings are also available through TV and Radio broadcasts or call 1300 659 210. The Bureau and State Emergency Service would appreciate warnings being broadcast regularly.