WINDS of up to 80 kilometres per hour rocked the city on Monday night, with gusts bringing down two large trees in the city’s cemetery.
The two towering gumtrees crashed on to graves.
Armidale Regional Council crews brought in chainsaws and a backhoe to remove the debris, carefully operating around the headstones.
One of the trees was completely ripped out of the ground, with the exposed roots stretching more than a metre high after the tree fell on its side.
A Council spokeswoman said the extent of the impact the fallen trees had on surrounding graves was “still being assessed”.
The cost of repair work won’t be the responsibility of families of the deceased.
“All damage is covered by Council,” the spokeswoman said.
Fallen branches were fed into a woodchipper by Council crews.
Armidale’s State Emergency Service unit responded to more than 20 requests for help after 5pm on Monday.
North westerly gusts brought a chill to the city on Monday, with the Bureau of Meteorology recording a top speed of 80 kilometres per hour at about 4pm.
The wind added to a sting to an already cold day, with the highest temperature for Monday being just 9.6 degrees.
Accompanying rain saw city rain gauges collect 11.6mm.
The fierce wind had eased by yesterday, with the fastest gusts being 44 kilometres per hour at 9am.
Today the bureau has tipped the temperature to sit between 11 and four degrees, with a medium chance of two to five millimetres of rain expected.
Wind speeds are forecast to reach 35 kilometres per hour.
