Community | September 22, 2009 | 11 comments

Great Red Dust Storm Blows Like Armageddon Into Sydney!

source: http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/sydney-dust-storm-turned-sky-red

Image
SeaJade
I've never seen anything like this in Sydney! Check out the photographs and video on the story page at the link above.

From "Now Public"
"Sydneysiders woke up today and find the sky has turned red. A huge dust storm blanketed Sydney, reducing visibility to few meters in some places.

The severity of the dust cloud will gradually decline, but will not go away until tonight.

Mick told ABC Online: "In Sydney's south-western suburbs I've just woken up to a glowing red window! Thought it was Armageddon! Either that or South Korea [sic] had nuked us!"
Another ABC Online contributor wrote in: "Red. Dusty. Making hard to breath... There are baby birds dead in our backyard. And our cat's gone missing."

Environmental Health director Dr Wayne Smith advised people with poor health, asthma, heart, or lung disease should remain indoors.

Schools are sill open and parents are told to send their children to school unless they have health problems.

Sydney Ferries has canceled its services. Ferry tickets could be used on buses this morning.

Flights to Sydney have been diverted to Brisbane and Melbourne, and outbound flights have been delayed.
Steve, who is driving to Tamworth, says rain is making conditions even more treacherous.

"It's almost raining mud," he told ABC Local Radio. "I have a green car and it's now an orange car. The wipers are barely able to cope with all the mud."
  1. groups:
    Community,   Green,   Current Tonight,   Max and Jason: Still Up,   1 more
  2. tags:
    News,  Environment,  Weather,  Storms,  3 more
  3. recommended by:
    Vierotchka
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11 comments // Great Red Dust Storm Blows Like Armageddon Into Sydney!

  • csmonut
  • SeaJade
  • smurph25
  • SeaJade
  • remanns
  • Vierotchka
  • JanforGore
  • SeaJade
    • 0
      SeaJade  

    • From a friend who lives in Sydney:
      "No one recalls anything like this – they say it’s from the Red Centre, where gale force winds blew throughout the night, bringing it all this way – we have strong to gale force winds blowing at present, but all the dust now seems to have blown out to sea, but perhaps there is more to come, who knows? "

    • 2 years ago
  • FreshPlastic
    • 0
      FreshPlastic  

    • One of the pictures shows people exercising in a park. What's that all about? You'd take a day off from your exercise regime, or at least go indoors and use a treadmill or something instead!

    • 2 years ago
  • SeaJade
    • 0
      SeaJade  
    • Image

    • Some really amazing photographs at this link as well as video... The dust has come from the inland deserts, where it has travelled from west to east over regions known as the western slopes, mountain ranges, and the green coastal belt... Its not your usual dust storm, and not your "usual" dust belt....

      "Strong winds blowing in from the north-west have blanketed Sydney and much of NSW in high levels of dust. ... read more
      Sydneysiders awoke to discover the sky was turned a hellish red in the extremely rare weather event.
      Ferries have been cancelled and flights to Sydney airport have been diverted as visibility has been severely reduced.
      Motorists have been urged to drive with their lights on and to adjust to the conditions as several roads, including Sydney Harbour Tunnel were closed."

    • 2 years ago
  • J_Jammer
    • 0
      J_Jammer [removed]  

    • Well rain does clean....even the air. Never thought of a dust storm than rain.

      I saw a show on the great dust bowl here in America and that was scary...what those people went through.

      This is weird and good that it won't last but several hours.

      Just like I thought....pretty pictures in a hard to breathe time. Good shots. Almost anything can be made into a fantastic photo op.

    • 2 years ago
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