Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Dust Storm

All day I have been hearing on the news about the dust storm that hit Sydney early this morning. 4pm and it has just hit here. The news reports are saying that there hasn't been a dust storm like this for 70 years! I've certainly never seen anything like it. I took these photos just now from my yard - the first looking over the back fence past the neighbor's house and the second looking over the hedge on the east side of my place.
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11 comments:

  1. FABSeptember 23, 2009 at 5:43 PM

    Whow Mick. That looks pretty serious. Batten down the hatches, I don't think you will be going far for a while. FAB

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  2. Midmarsh JohnSeptember 23, 2009 at 6:04 PM

    We have been seeing film of that on the news here. Very occasionally we get some sand from the Sahara Desert. It can be blown high into the atmosphere and only comes down with the rain. Then it covers everything with red dust. Your sand storm looks as though it would be uncomfortable and hazardous to be outside for too long. Makes lovely unusual photos though.

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  3. NeilSeptember 23, 2009 at 6:22 PM

    Hi Mick you are lucky we have had it since 2pm and they say it could go as far as NZ.

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  4. mickSeptember 23, 2009 at 6:34 PM

    Hi Frank, John and Neil. Wow! Fancy our weather being featured over your way, Frank and John. It's all very nasty - it smells dusty! and if you open your mouth it tastes dusty! Neil, I had an appointment in Gympie in the early afternoon and it was dusty then. As I came out to the coast I got ahead of it but within a half hour of getting home it had rolled in here.

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  5. tilcheffSeptember 23, 2009 at 8:42 PM

    Very surreal and quite scary, Mick. It was much worse here in the morning. We usually get up at 5:40, but this morning was like no other... I posted some photos too.

    As Midmarsh John points out, it looks very similar to the Northern African ghibli (red dust storms coming from the Sahara) which I remember from my childhood. My parents worked there for years and I grew up on the Southern coast of the Mediterranean sea.
    Hope air is clear now and there's no damage to the equipment.

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  6. mickSeptember 23, 2009 at 8:55 PM

    Hi Nickolay, your morning photos are amazing with that red color. It was just a dirty yellow when it reached here. Very interesting comments from you and John about the red sands from the Sahara blowing and creating similar dust/sand storms. Our weather report tonight said that we will have the dust hanging around at least tomorrow.

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  7. Denis WilsonSeptember 23, 2009 at 11:58 PM

    Hi Mick
    .
    I woke up to the orange glow.
    Then discovered the dirt covering all surfaces.
    Huge winds too - I lost a tall (young) wattle tree about 6 metres high. Snapped off just above the ground. Some damage to other shrubs near by.
    all in all, a nasty day.
    Winds make me feel "on edge" too.
    Cheers
    Denis

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  8. Rambling WoodsSeptember 24, 2009 at 2:27 AM

    Wow..that is similar to what I experienced when cleaning my kid's room. LOL No, those were dust bunnies a different species..lol... seriously that must cause all kinds of problems.... Michelle

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  9. mickSeptember 24, 2009 at 4:45 AM

    Hi Michelle, LOL re your first comment. The long-term problems are the worst as there is so much good soil just blown away from out west.

    Hi Denis, that sounds like a strong wind down your way to snap off trees and shrubs. The wind dropped around here soon after the dust blew in so it will be interesting to see how much is still hanging around once it gets light. I have read that some people are much more aware of changes in the atmospheric particles than others - which is possibly your "on edge" feelings.

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  10. avalonSeptember 24, 2009 at 5:06 AM

    We have been watching the BBC news this evening over here, looked really bad in Sydney! Hope you will be ok where you are take care x

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  11. mickSeptember 24, 2009 at 6:46 AM

    Thanks Avalon. It looks much better this morning. The sky is actually blue colored again although still a little hazy.

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