Two tornadoes, record-breaking rain and large hail have hit New South Wales in the 24 hours to Thursday afternoon, as supercell thunderstorms and a band of rain sweep the state.

Heavy downpours triggered a surge in calls for assistance.

Andrew Edmunds, a spokesperson for the State Emergency Service, said crews had responded to “a large volume of incidents” with more than 850 calls for assistance in a 50-minute period around 8.30pm on Wednesday. Crews responded to about 600 incidents.

A number of vehicles were caught in flash flooding, including a light rail vehicle stuck on Anzac Parade.

“Crews brought 20 to 30 passengers to safety, and also used an Ark Angel raft to ferry an elderly passenger across some of the water,” Edumunds said.

The SES also assisted about 10 passengers from a

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