Rare tornado whips through small Australian town

On October 3, a rare tornado swept through Ulladulla, a town on the NSW South Coast in Australia, causing significant damage. The Bureau of Meteorology confirmed the event and warned of severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, large hailstones, and heavy rainfall affecting areas including Sydney, Wollongong, Penrith, and Katoomba. Witnesses like Ulladulla mother Wishaya La Spina filmed the tornado while in her car with her baby, describing it as "pretty scary." The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) received over 90 calls for assistance across the state, including 29 around Ulladulla, where 15 properties were impacted; more than half a dozen homes sustained severe damage and two became uninhabitable. Fallen trees and powerlines, as well as road blockages due to debris, further complicated recovery efforts. Despite the extensive damage, no injuries were reported, highlighting the swift response of local emergency services and volunteers.