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Sydney blanketed in dust as massive storm rolls in

Sydney was hit with a major dust storm in 2009 (pictured), turning the sky to a bright orange colour. Source: Getty

Sydney residents have been issued with a stern warning from health officials to stay inside as a thick layer of dust begins to engulf the city.

The severe dust storm which blanketed regional areas of New South Wales on Wednesday has continued its way towards the coast, mirroring a major storm in 2009 which saw thousands of tons of dirt and soil lifted and dumped in the Sydney Harbour.

Residents have already begun to see the effects of the storm as a low pressure system continues to pick up masses of dirt across the drought-stricken state. However, conditions are only expected to worsen over the course of the day with visibility predicted to decrease into the early afternoon.

Many have taken the opportunity to capture the spectacular scene as the blanket of dust travels through their towns and properties as it heads east. Caroline Bowen shared an outstanding photo of the storm on Twitter on Thursday morning from her property in regional New South Wales. 

“Our skies are shrouded in pink-red-brown gritty particles from a dust storm sweeping from the central west of the state and across New South Wales,” she wrote on social media. “It reached the Blue Mountains on this morning and is heading towards Sydney.”

For others, the storm had already passed earlier in the week, with one Hay resident sharing a snap of a massive wave of dust he had witnessed on Tuesday. 

https://twitter.com/dtapper3/status/1064773778461224960

“Great, another bloody dust storm,” the man wrote on Twitter. 

Those in Sydney are still waiting in anticipation for the storm to roll in with one woman capturing regular photos of the sky as the dust quickly blankets the city. Although the woman had planned to take photos once every hour, the storm was moving so fast she changed her plan as the sky was quickly darkened with dust.

“I decided to take a photo every 30 min instead because the conditions were changing faster than I had initially expected!,” Kirsten Banks wrote on Twitter.

Although a spectacular sight to see, New South Wales Health has urged people to be on guard, especially those with respiratory issues such as asthma.

As well as reducing air quality and visibility, the small dust particles have the ability to make their way into the sensitive regions of the respiratory tract and lungs. While most of the particles are generally too big to travel into these regions, it is a cause for concern for those with pre-existing breathing-related problems and other conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

For this reason NSW Health has encouraged people to avoid outdoor activity, cover the nose and mouth with a mask or damp cloth and stay indoors in air conditioned areas.

Others who are caught up in the storm while driving are urged to reduce their speed and be prepared to pull off the road if visibility deteriorates to less than 100 metres. If your car is air-conditioned, reduce the amount of dust entering your car by switching the air intake to recirculate.

Have you ever been caught up in a dust storm? Do you remember the 2009 Sydney dust storm?

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