Dust storms in Syndey
The sky turned red over Sydney on September 23 2009. This was Australia's worst dust storm in 70 years where desert sand and grit blanketed the east coast, diverting international flights into Sydney, stopping Syndey harbour passenger ferries and leaving millions of people coughing and spluttering in the streets. People with Asthma or heart or lung diseases were urged not to go outside and to keep their inhalers handy.
No one was hurt as a result of the dust clouds but ambulance services reported an increase in emergency calls from people with breathing difficulties.
The dust clouds came from Australia's dry interior which is even drier than normal following the worst drought on record. The dust over Sydney had largely cleared by midafternoon but had joined other uncommon weather conditions across the country in the days prior to this. From hailstones in parts of the country, while other parts were hit with an early spring mini-heatwave and more wildfires.
An environmental scientist at Monash University, Nigel Tapper, has said that "Ten very dry years over inland southern Australia and very strong westerlies have conspired to produce these storms."
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