Environment

Sydney Dust Storm Turned Sky Red

by Scott Wu | September 22, 2009 at 02:08 pm

9025 views | 25 Recommendations | 6 comments

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."

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Jordan Yerman

at 14:10 on September 22nd, 2009

It's really beautiful and eerie. I gotta live vicariously through the eyewitnesses on this one, so take more pics than you think you have to.

Scott Wu

at 14:25 on September 22nd, 2009

It looks like the whole city has been photoshopped.

steve L (not verified)

at 15:03 on September 22nd, 2009

I am so terrified when i wake up this morning seeing the sky is red. It looks like end of the world, hit by the nuclear weapon, that we've seen on many many movies.

S. Wentworth (not verified)

at 15:26 on September 22nd, 2009

This was quite the worst dust storm I've seen in years!But it seems to be clearing up now, at least where I live.and Editor, please correct Mick's comment about SK's nuclear missiles. It is truly arrogant.