New Year’s Eve storm: Sydney counts down to midnight - NEWS.com.au

A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued with strong winds threatening Sydney, as huge crowds begin to build around the Harbour.

Popular vantage points are already closed off as revellers count down to the city’s spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks display.

“It’s hit and miss where the thunderstorms are exactly going to go, but there may be a risk it will affect parts of Sydney Harbour later tonight,” a spokeswoman for BOM told The Daily Telegraph.

“We are seeing a few thunderstorms in the Sydney basin and as we go into the evening chances are we will see a thunderstorm.”

Stormy weather would continue. “We will see lightning until the early hours of tomorrow and we could see some windier conditions around the northern parts of the Harbour.”

Rain is already falling over the harbour, with heavy falls elsewhere over the metropolitan area. A huge shower began just after 7pm, with many people diving under blankets to shield themselves from the rain.

Few in the coveted spots around the harbour were prepared to give up their positions though.

The BOM said the thunderstorms will most likely affect suburbs in Sydney’s west, although it may hit parts of the coast and the Harbour, where more than one million people expected to line the harbour foreshore.

They have been camping out for hours in steamy conditions with temperatures higher than 30C today.

NSW Police have assured revellers that while the terror alert remains at probable, there is no specific threat.

“We put obstacles between those large crowds and vehicles to ensure people can get in and out safely and enjoy their night in safety,” Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Walton told reporters in Sydney on Monday.

NSW Ambulance Chief Superintendent Evan Clark urged parents to be aware of their children’s activities after a spike in underage drinking at last year’s festivities.

This year there’s been a spike in assaults on paramedics with 449 reported compared to 313 last year, he told reporters.

Meanwhile, the city’s lord mayor has taken a shot at the state government for charging people to watch the famous fireworks from some harbourside locations. “All the city-owned sites are free and any of those that are ticketed are ticketed by Property NSW or the Royal Botanic Gardens,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore told reporters on Monday.

“I frankly think it’s outrageous they are trying to make money out of something we are putting on to bring the community together harmoniously.”

Almost 20 government-owned sites are ticketed with the Botanic Gardens, for example, charging $335 for its Harbour Hoopla event.

Property NSW hit back saying only one of the venues it manages - Hickson Road Reserve - requires paid entry and the ticket price pays for live music and security.

Comment was also sought from the Botanic Gardens.

Dedicated revellers arrived early on Monday to set up picnic blankets at popular spots including the ends of the bridge, the Opera House and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.

Jeroen van Druten and his wife Miranda - holidaying in Australia from the Netherlands - have watched Sydney’s fireworks on television for years. By 11am they had parked themselves under the bridge at the Rocks with a bag of supplies as temperatures climbed toward 30C.

“You hear from everyone it’s very busy, crowded, so to get a good spot you have to be early,” Mr van Druten told AAP.

“It was on our bucket list.”

This year’s $5.78 million Sydney NYE show will comprise 8.5 tonnes of fireworks, more than 100,000 individual pyrotechnic effects and 35,000 shooting comets. The theme is the Pulse of Sydney with the display featuring gold, silver and purple pyrotechnics.

The soundtrack will feature hits from Australian and international artists reaching a crescendo after midnight with (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman made famous by Aretha Franklin who died in August.

Australia’s iconic landscapes will also be celebrated with an animation inspired by the rock anthem Great Southern Land beamed onto the harbour bridge’s pylons at 11pm before the main 12-minute firework display lights up the city’s skies at midnight.

The visual displays will run all night spanning the entire bridge for the first time with more than one billion people globally expected to watch on television.

Meanwhile, in Melbourne people began making their way into the city from 4pm as families settled in to watch the 9.30pm display

Fireworks will be launched from 22 city rooftops, while celebrations will also roll out from Footscray Park to the Mornington Peninsula.

New Year’s Eve revellers across South Australia have been warned police are taking a zero tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour.

Police will focus heavily on alcohol-related offences including drink driving, while the ambulance service has called on people to respect its officers as they try to protect the community.

As in previous years, Adelaide CBD and seaside Glenelg have been declared public precincts where police have extra powers to search and ban people from the area. Assistant Commissioner Scott Duval said members of the public needed to take responsibility for their actions by drinking sensibly, not driving under the influence and looking out for friends and family.

“We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable night and we will not hesitate to stamp out any anti-social behaviour,” he said.

More than 30,000 people are expected to gather at Elder Park in the centre of the city for the main New Year’s Eve celebrations with the numbers to bolstered by crowds leaving the Big Bash League match at Adelaide Oval.

A similarly large crowd is expected at Glenelg.

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