SYDNEY, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- A woman has died after her car was struck by a falling tree south of Sydney as strong winds and intense rainfall hit Australia's east coast on Saturday.

File photo: IC

Emergency services were called to reports that a tree branch had fallen onto a vehicle around 90 km south of central Sydney shortly before 4 p.m. local time on Saturday.

The female driver of the vehicle died at the scene, while a male passenger in the front seat suffered minor injuries. Two rear-seat passengers were not injured.

The east coast state of New South Wales was hit by severe thunderstorms on Saturday, causing flash flooding in northern Sydney and flight delays at Sydney Airport.

The State Emergency Service said it had received hundreds of calls for assistance across the state and that authorities had rescued four people from floodwaters.

The emergency service's Superintendent Matt Kirby told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the severe weather would not ease until Sunday, with heavy rain expected to persist around Sydney and neighboring regions to the north and south.

"We remind people not to drive through floodwaters and also be wary of where you park your vehicles, as trees can fall at any time," he said.

Beaches around Sydney were closed due to the threat posed by powerful swells and police have urged people to avoid walking near areas exposed to large waves.