SYDNEY - A damaging storm that hit Australia's east coast in the early hours of Thursday morning has left thousands of people without electricity and major roads blocked by fallen trees.

The electrical storm hit the east coast town of Grafton, almost 500 km north of Sydney, the capital city of the state of New South Wales (NSW), before dawn on Thursday and moved north into Queensland, delivering intense rainfall and wind speeds exceeding 100 km per hour, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

The storm caused widespread damage, bringing down trees and power cables.

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As of 9:30 am local time, over 25,000 homes and businesses were without power.

The State Emergency Service (SES), which said it was caught off guard by the storm, received more than 100 calls for help.

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Work to restore power to properties affected by blackouts has begun.