Rare tornado rips through Australia town

A tornado ripped through an Australian town, sending outdoor furniture flying and prompting cries of disbelief from passersby.

The tornado struck the town of Ulladulla, just over 226 kilometres (140 miles) south of Sydney, after midday on Saturday.

Videos shared on social media showed the twister sweeping through a suburban neighbourhood, as powerful wind and rain lashed homes and gardens.

Emergency crews received over a dozen calls about the twister, national broadcaster ABC said, with trees falling on powerlines.

Local cafe owner Julius Machado told the outlet the storm struck in "a blink of an eye".

"We had to close up early to clean up... all glasses were broken, plates, glasses everywhere; was just a mess, big mess."

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology said the twister in such a built-up area was rare.

"It's very uncommon to see one in such a populated place," the bureau said.

"Properties were damaged and trees knocked over."

Tornados are relatively rare in Australia -- the Bureau of Meteorology reports around 50 take place every year.

The twister struck as swathes of eastern and southern Australia were swept by intense storms and rainfall.

In Australia's largest city Sydney, heavy rains turned streets into rivers in intense downpours on Saturday evening.