main problem was that the bureau of meteorology could not forecast exactly where the storm would form .
storm was forecast to gather between port macquarie and newcastle , but it formed just north of newcastle .
it then covered 150 km south from newcastle to wollongong where a third of australia 's population live .
when the storm hit it caused the maximum amount of destruction because of it being a huge suburban area .
budget cuts also meant the bureau of meteorology did not have as many resources at its disposal .
` it 's just economics . weather balloons can now only be used in a limited number of places , ' says climate specialist .
emergency services admitted on tuesday they were shocked by the severity of the storm .
their teams were overwhelmed by a weather system that changed very rapidly .
this weather system usually moves away after 12 hours but this one is going to stick around for 24-36 hours .