- Up to 13,000 homes plunged into darkness
- Taylor Swift’s arrival in Sydney delayed
Four people were struck by lightning near the Sydney Opera House as wild storms caused a massive blackout and Taylor Swift’s private jet was delayed.
Thousands of residents on the city’s northern beaches were left without power shortly before 1:00 pm on Monday as heavy rain, strong winds and lightning hit the city.
Four people were rushed to hospital after being injured by a lightning strike while sitting under a tree near the Botanical Gardens at around 12.45pm.
A man in his 20s and a woman in her 20s were taken to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
A man and woman in their 30s have been taken to St Vincent’s Hospital.
It comes as Swift’s plane ran into some problems on its journey to Sydney, with the plane delayed by up to 30 minutes due to bad weather.
The superstar left Melbourne for Sydney around midday on Monday ahead of his next four-day run of shows on his Eras Tour.
Suburbs such as Fairlight, Manly, Balgowlah, Balgowlah Heights, North Balgowlah, Seaforth, Manly Vale, Killarney Heights and Mosman are affected by the massive blackout.
Fans are seen sheltering under umbrellas as they arrive at Sydney Airport to welcome Swift.
The pop star’s plane (pictured) was delayed about half an hour after severe 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 starting Friday before heading to Singapore.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe weather warning for severe thunderstorms and heavy rain 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 supply is expected to return at 3pm on Monday, Ausgrid said.
More to come.