Shutters Newcastle

Storm season in Newcastle: the SES checklist for your home, and where windows fit

NSW storm season runs from September to April, and the SES checklist starts above your head with the roof, gutters and trees, then works down to windows and doors that seal properly, with metal screens or shutters named by the NSW Government for homes in areas prone to severe storms.

A suburban street of single-storey brick and weatherboard homes in late afternoon as a dark shelf cloud rolls in. A tall gum tree leans in the wind and leaves blow across the empty road.
Illustration. A storm rolling in over a suburban street.

Newcastle averaged nearly two storm call-outs a day last season

SES storm incidents, last storm season (Newcastle Herald)

  • Gosford1072
  • Newcastle440
  • Cessnock313
  • Maitland186
  • Hunter total: more than 1200
  • SES northern zone total: about 3000
Storm incidents reported by the Newcastle Herald.Source: Newcastle Herald

The Newcastle Herald's report, Hunter residents urged to prepare as SES warns of El Niño storms, put Newcastle at 440 storm incidents between September 2025 and April 2026.

That season ran for 242 days. 440 divided by 242 is about 1.8. That works out to nearly two SES storm jobs in our city every day of the season (our estimate).

Cessnock had 313 and Maitland 186. The Hunter as a whole had more than 1200, and the SES northern zone handled about 3000. Down the coast, Gosford logged 1072.

The SES says NSW storm season falls between September and April, "although major storms can happen at any time of the year". So this season is already under way, and it has months to run. September is when storms, strong winds and heavy rain typically increase. Weather that started then keeps coming through summer and into autumn.

Most storm jobs start with a tree or a roof

NSW SES, last storm season

  • All incidentsmore than 23,000

Of these:

  • Storm-related emergencies18,905
  • Fallen treesabout 7,000
  • Leaking or damaged roofsmore than 6,500
Incidents NSW SES volunteers responded to last season.Source: NSW SES media release

Statewide last season, SES volunteers responded to more than 23,000 incidents, including 18,905 storm-related emergencies. About 7,000 were fallen trees and more than 6,500 were leaking or damaged roofs.

Add those two together and trees and roofs account for more than 13,000 jobs (our sum). That is why the checklist below starts above your head.

The next risk is at ground level. An SES simulation showed unsecured trampolines and outdoor furniture "can become lethal projectiles" in strong wind.

The SES checklist, from the roof down

12345678
  1. 1Roof: leaks, loose tiles, metal sheets and screws
  2. 2Gutters and downpipes: can trap water and cause it to overflow under the eaves into your roof cavity
  3. 3Drains
  4. 4Trees and overhanging branches: trim
  5. 5Windows and doors: seal properly, repair broken glass; metal screens or shutters for areas prone to severe storms (NSW Government)
  6. 6Loose items: trampolines and outdoor furniture indoors where possible
  7. 7Vehicle: undercover, or away from trees and covered if hail is predicted
  8. 8Inside: know how to turn off power, water and gas; safety switch; surge protectors
The SES checklist, from the roof down.Source: NSW SES; NSW SES media release; NSW Government

Work through it in this order and you cover the jobs the SES gets called to most.

Windows and doors: seals first, then screens or shutters

The back of a single-storey red-brick home under a dark storm sky in late afternoon. Its gutters are clear, a downpipe runs down to a stormwater grate, and the paved back patio is empty. A gum tree bends in the wind and the lawn is flattened by the gusts.
Illustration. Clear gutters, an emptied patio and a storm sky.

Windows are the part of the list closest to our work at Shutters Newcastle, so here is what the official advice says about them.

Start with the window itself. The SES advice is to check that windows and doors seal properly and get previously broken windows repaired. A cracked pane or a perished seal is a weak point however the opening is covered.

Then think about the outside of the window. The NSW Government's Prepare your home for storm season page says, for homes in areas prone to severe storms: "install metal screens or shutters on windows for greater protection from high winds". The same page says to "get a licensed builder to check your building's structural integrity against high winds".

Treat screens or shutters as one measure among the rest, not a replacement for them. They sit in front of the glass. They do nothing for a blocked gutter, a loose roof sheet or a branch hanging over the house. No single product makes a home safe in a storm. A sound frame, good seals, a cleared yard and a plan work together.

What to do when a storm hits

Shelterno windows

Shelter in the smallest room with the fewest windows, away from the windows.

Australian Warning System

  1. Advice
  2. Watch and Act
  3. Emergency Warning

Natural signs: darkening skies, increasing winds, thunder

  • NSW SES emergency help in storms and floods: 132 500
  • Life-threatening: Triple Zero (000)
What to do when a storm hits.Source: NSW Government; NSW SES; NSW SES media release

Don't wait for an official warning before you prepare: the SES says you may not always receive an official warning.

When warnings do come, they use the Australian Warning System: Advice, Watch and Act, and Emergency Warning. Watch the sky as well. The SES points to natural signs such as darkening skies, increasing winds and thunder.

Once a storm arrives:

The SES is blunt about its limits: it "may not be able to rescue you during storms". For emergency help in storms and floods, call NSW SES on 132 500. If a life is at risk, call Triple Zero (000).

A dry El Niño year can still bring severe storms

Even in years where drier conditions may be expected, we can see severe storms.
NSW SES Commissioner, NSW SES media release

A dry El Niño outlook does not mean a quiet storm season: the SES and Bureau of Meteorology say severe storms still occur in drier years, and coastal troughs can interrupt the dry period.

The detail matters for Newcastle. The Bureau's long-range forecast, quoted by the SES, has a dry signal for early spring, especially west of the Great Dividing Range. East of the Divide, where we live, the signal is more variable because the Tasman Sea is warmer than average. Coastal troughs and thunderstorms can bring heavy rain, damaging winds, large hail and flash flooding.

The Bureau's update of 13 October 2026 put El Niño at near-record levels. It also cautioned that a strong El Niño signal does not necessarily mean strong impacts on Australian rainfall and temperature. A strong El Niño does not tell you what this season will bring. Neither does a dry outlook.

Renting? Put it in writing

If you rent, you can't fix the roof or replace a window yourself, but you can flag the problem. The NSW Government says to raise maintenance concerns with the property manager or owner, and keep copies of all communications.

A loose gutter, a window that won't seal and cracked glass are all worth an email now, while the weather is fine. For who is responsible for what, the same page points to Fair Trading NSW and Tenants' Union NSW.

A weekend-sized list to do now

Tick them off as you go.Source: NSW SES; NSW SES media release; NSW Government

Most of this fits into a Saturday. Before anyone goes up a ladder, the SES says to use the SafeWork NSW ladder safety pocket guide. If the roof is steep or high, get someone qualified to do it.

Keep phones and power sources charged through the season. After a storm, be especially cautious of asbestos when checking storm damage.

Newcastle storm season at a glance

Talk to Shutters Newcastle about your windows

Clear the gutters, trim the branches and check the seals first. The metal screens or shutters the NSW Government names are a different product from the plantation shutters and blinds we supply. When you're ready to think about the inside of your windows, tell us about them through the Shutters Newcastle contact page, or browse our services first. Storm season runs to April, so there is still time to work through the list properly.

Sources