Massive Dust Storm Hits Sydney

[Kerry]

Massive Dust Storm Hits Sydney

A massive dust storm has descended upon my beautiful home town of Sydney this morning.

It's about 9.30 on Wednesday morning here in Sydney as I write this post. I woke this morning to find the sky a startling shade of orange. Everything is coated in a fine orange dust.

Yesterday was a gloriously warm, sunny spring day. Almost too hot for spring. More like summer. Last night's news bulletins warned of a massive dust storm descending upon Sydney from the west. The television news showed images of Australia's capital city, Canberra, situated to Sydney's  south-west. Visibility looked minimal there, through a dense, orange haze. And that's exactly what Sydney has woken to this morning. The air is dense with orange dust and the wind is blowing furiously. The beautiful day of yesterday has turned into a cold, dark, overcast day, with no sunshine and minimal visibility.  In the 59 years I've lived in Sydney, I have never  seen anyhting like this. Is it something to do with global warming, I wonder? Climate change? Whatever it is, I don't like it. It looks like the end of the world out there!

Yes, that is Sydney's iconic and much-loved Opera House through the gloom (upper left)












Martin Place in the heart of Sydney, on what should be a sunny spring morning!

[LauraGigs]

Wow, the photos definitely have an armageddon-like feel to them.  I hope you and your loved ones stay healthy through this and have no sensitivities or asthma or anything.  When is it supposed to clear?

[Kerry]

Wow, the photos definitely have an armageddon-like feel to them.  I hope you and your loved ones stay healthy through this and have no sensitivities or asthma or anything.  When is it supposed to clear?

I've not heard any news on when it's expected to clear, Laura. The wind is blowing furiously from the west, so I hope it blows out to sea quick smart. As I write this, I can hear sirens sounding in the distance. There are sure to be lots of car accidents with such low visibility. It'll be a bad day for asthmatics and those with respiratory ailments. It won't be good for the very young and the elderly, either. Hope it blows over quickly.

[David In Indy]

Oh God Kerry! That looks awful! Please stay safe over there okay?

[CellarDweller]

Damn!

Kerry, keep us posted on everything!

[dejavu]

Really strange pictures of the orange sky.

Hope everyone stays well.

[Meryl]

What a GDBOAUS! 

Can the days of Mad Max have come upon Oz at last? 



Hope it clears away quickly, Kerry.  Keep safe! 

[David In Indy]

I remember when they had that big forest fire in the Smoky Mountains about 20 years ago. We could see and smell the smoke here in Indiana. It looked as if those fires were only down the street from us and yet they were 350-400 miles away in eastern Tennessee and North Carolina. It's weird how weather systems can pick up things like smoke or sand and carry it for hundreds of miles.

Like Chuck said, please keep us posted Kerry! I hope everything settles down soon. It must be very frightening.

{{{KERRY}}}

{{{SYDNEY}}}

[Kerry]

It's approaching noon now and the light outside is still strangely post-apocalyptic! 

The orange haze contnues to obscure the sun, but it's not as intense as it was earlier this morning.

Thanks everyone, for your kind messages of concern.          I'll post updates as the day progresses.

[Berit]

Never seen anything like that..... ....looks nasty.....

Take care, Kerry