A woman has died after being struck by a falling tree branch on Macquarie Pass on Saturday afternoon 17 January, as damaging winds and heavy rain swept across the Illawarra and South Coast.

Emergency services were called to the Illawarra Highway near Clover Hill Road just before 4pm, after a large branch fell onto the roadway and struck a passing vehicle.

The woman died at the scene. A male front-seat passenger sustained minor injuries, while two other rear end passengers were unhurt.

Macquarie Pass, a key route connecting the South Coast to the Southern Highlands and frequently used by Kiama motorists, is expected to remain closed for several hours while police investigate and prepare a report for the coroner.

The incident occurred amid widespread severe weather across New South Wales.

The NSW State Emergency Service said more than 700 volunteers were responding to hundreds of calls for assistance, including multiple flood rescues in the past 24 hours.

A similar fatal incident occurred in 2023, when a woman was killed after a large tree branch crashed through the windscreen of her car in the Southern Highlands during severe weather.

Police and emergency services continue to respond to weather-related incidents as severe conditions persist across the state.