The Dust Storm along the east coast of Australia

[PlainSimpleJoel]

What a weird day with dust storm hitting most of the east coast. Waking up this morning to sky that was all red and silver - was weird. When I left my house around 7am, it was a struggle to see anything 100 metres in front of me. And the wind too.

As I said on facebook earlier, it felt like Armageddon or on being on Mars, as it was a red sky. Hopefully I don't get sick from this, as the storm reached the highest level of air pollution ever.

Some pictures from some media souces:-

Thankfully now at 4.40pm it is clearing up.

 

[JuanBolio]

Wow. I'd love to see something like that. Hope you wore a mask if you went outside.

 

[thestrangequark]

It's beautiful.

 

[Middle Earther]

Are these common in that area?

 

[Miss Chicken]

Not sure how common they are in Sydney but Hobart had a dust storm last summer which is pretty unusual for Tasmania. However we have since had our wettest winter in 50 years and even now it is spring it is still raining (which means that the drought is officially over) so it unlikely we will get any more dust storms in the forseeable future.

Unlike Sydney our dust storm wasn't red but brownish-gray.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

Wow. I'd love to see something like that. Hope you wore a mask if you went outside.

I tried to find something before I left for work training, but couldn't find anything. Took it rather easy while I was there.

Are these common in that area?

A lot of it has to do with the drought in NSW. So there could be more over the next few years.

 

[Australis]

According to the ABC News, Sydney hasn't had a dust storm like that since 1944, and it wasn't as bad as this one.

It was pretty odd, did seem like Mars as seen in many films. And I didn't like being out in it too long, I could feel it building up in my nose and throat.

 

[Rii]

 

[RJDiogenes]

I love that second picture, with the contrast of the red and blue. It must have been a great thing to experience, despite the unhealthiness.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I feel a little jealous. Sydney gets a visually beautiful dust storm but when Hobart got its dust storm it looked like this

 

[Australis]

News also said pollution levels were 1500 times higher than average. I can believe it.

And yes, Rii, it's a funny pic. I duid suspect something weird was out there!

 

[Middle Earther]

News also said pollution levels were 1500 times higher than average. I can believe it.

And yes, Rii, it's a funny pic. I duid suspect something weird was out there!

What? That's not an actual photo??? I'm shocked!! I thought "higher chance of Godzilla" was one of the major indicators of global warming!

 

[Arrqh]

There are some really good pictures on the Boston Globe's Big Picture photoblog.

 

[trampledamage]

Nice work!

 

[Crusher Disciple]

Is that the pool they used for the Olympics?

 

[Australis]

No, it's the North Sydney pool, right under the Harbour Bridge. Normally you'd see boats going past and the Opera House in the background, from this angle.

 

[the 4th hanson bro]

There are some really good pictures on the Boston Globe's Big Picture photoblog.

I like this one:

Looks like something out of a horror flick.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

Is that the pool they used for the Olympics?

As Australis said, it's the pool at North Sydney. The Olympics were held at Homebush Bay, which is around 20km west of the harbour.

 

[RJDiogenes]

There are some really good pictures on the Boston Globe's Big Picture photoblog.

I like this one:

Looks like something out of a horror flick.

That's fantastic.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Captain Walker will lead us out of this 'pox-eclipse and take us to Tomorrow-morrow-land... Oh.