Dust Storm Armageddon in Australia

ABC.net.au-- Sydneysiders are being warned that a huge dust cloud will continue to affect the city through the day, after they woke to an eerie red dawn this morning.

The huge dust storm which has settled over the city and much of New South Wales was carried east overnight by gale-force winds of up to 100kph.

This morning the weather bureau said the dust cloud was expected to hang around until late afternoon.

Senior forecaster Barry Hanstrum says more high winds are on the way and could cause more damage.

"The winds won't drop off until later today and when they do we think that the dust haze will start to clear," he said.

"The weather system that generated the dust yesterday is associated with gale force winds and the area which is most likely to be affected today is the Wollongong-Greater Sydney region and the Hunter Valley-Newcastle area.

"The winds at times during the morning will average 65kph, which is gale force, with some stronger squally gusts up to about 90-100kph."

The dust reduced visibility across the city and large parts of the state, with callers to ABC Radio saying the scene looked like something from the end of the world.

The bureau has issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds in Sydney and other parts of NSW, with a gale warning issued for Sydney closed waters.

Environmental Health director Dr Wayne Smith says people in poor health, especially those with asthma and heart and lung disease should remain indoors.

He says children with health problems, as well as older adults and pregnant women, should also take precautions and people should avoid heavy exercise.

'Like Armageddon'

Karen from Dulwich Hill, in Sydney's inner west, says she woke up to find the red dust had covered her floors and birds had been blown out of their nests.

"It did feel like Armageddon because when I was in the kitchen looking out the skylight, there was this red, red glow coming through," she said.

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."

Another listener says her lakeside vista has been replaced by a desert view. Others have commented on how birds are struggling to cope with the haze, with some "falling out of the sky".

Another said: "I went out for a ride on my bicycle and I ended up looking like a red panda."

Caller Mary spoke about a dust storm she saw in 1939: "I was 13 years of age and I lived in Leichhardt," she said. "I remember I walked to my aunt's place and you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. The colour was a sort of yellowy-brown."

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