Gale force winds in excess of 100kph uprooted thousands of trees across the shire, ripped off roofs and left most homes without power.

Many residents woke on Monday morning to see properties littered with fallen branches and trees while a host of homes were damaged by falling timber.

More than 100 powerlines were also brought down by the gusts while a number of roads were closed due to fallen trees.

The frantic clean-up operation saw emergency crews report one of their busiest days on record on Monday while Integral Energy worked through the night to restore power to homes.

"We usually have a wind storm once a year but this is the worst in a long time," Senior Constable Allan Rhodes from Bowral Police said.

"A lot of people have gone beyond their call of duty and it's been a very big effort to clean up."

Police reported a number of minor car accidents as falling trees and branches caused danger on the shire's roads.

About 10,000 homes were left in the dark with trees bringing down powerlines in all corners of the shire.

"We've got all hands on deck at the moment and we've called in extra crews to the Highlands," Integral spokesperson Ed Husic said.