<p>A tornado tore through Australia's rural southeast on Thursday, ripping roofs off houses, uprooting trees, toppling power lines and causing minor injuries, authorities said.</p>.<p>Police and ambulance crews were called to Meadow Flat, a town of 300 people near the regional centre of Bathurst, following reports of a tornado destroying a house just after noon, the emergency services said.</p>.<p>A man was taken to hospital with cuts to his arm. About 20 minutes later, the crews went to Clear Creek, with a population of about 100, about 30 km (20 miles) away, where a man and a woman were treated for minor injuries, the New South Wales ambulance service said.</p>.<p>"It's not every day you get called out to a tornado and this one packed quite a punch," said NSW Ambulance Inspector Meah Ferguson.</p>.<p>Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Agata Imielska said the tornado was part of a weather system crossing Australia's most populous state and causing thunder storms.</p>.<p>The NSW State Emergency Service issued a warning for people to secure loose items outside their homes.</p>.<p>The tornado upended power lines and blew part of an iron roof into electricity wires, triggering an automatic power outage for 164 homes, said Essential Energy.</p>.<p>"Crews are working as quickly as safety allows to clear debris and carry out repairs to the network, however there is no restoration time available at present," a spokesperson said in a statement.</p>.<p>Check out DH's latest videos:</p>
<p>A tornado tore through Australia's rural southeast on Thursday, ripping roofs off houses, uprooting trees, toppling power lines and causing minor injuries, authorities said.</p>.<p>Police and ambulance crews were called to Meadow Flat, a town of 300 people near the regional centre of Bathurst, following reports of a tornado destroying a house just after noon, the emergency services said.</p>.<p>A man was taken to hospital with cuts to his arm. About 20 minutes later, the crews went to Clear Creek, with a population of about 100, about 30 km (20 miles) away, where a man and a woman were treated for minor injuries, the New South Wales ambulance service said.</p>.<p>"It's not every day you get called out to a tornado and this one packed quite a punch," said NSW Ambulance Inspector Meah Ferguson.</p>.<p>Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Agata Imielska said the tornado was part of a weather system crossing Australia's most populous state and causing thunder storms.</p>.<p>The NSW State Emergency Service issued a warning for people to secure loose items outside their homes.</p>.<p>The tornado upended power lines and blew part of an iron roof into electricity wires, triggering an automatic power outage for 164 homes, said Essential Energy.</p>.<p>"Crews are working as quickly as safety allows to clear debris and carry out repairs to the network, however there is no restoration time available at present," a spokesperson said in a statement.</p>.<p>Check out DH's latest videos:</p>