Dust storm blankets Sydney, disrupts transport
An outback dust storm swept across eastern Australia and blanketed Sydney on Wednesday, disrupting transport and placing health authorities on alert for widespread respiratory illness.
The dust blacked out the outback mining town of Broken Hill on Tuesday, forcing one mine to shut down, and then swept east, shrouding Sydney in a red glow on Wednesday morning.
International flights were diverted from Sydney, ferries on Sydney Harbour were suspended and commuter motorists warned to take care on roads as visibility was dramatically reduced.
Health authorities urged people with asthma or breathing difficulties to stay indoors.
"People who have any breathing issues stay inside and keep the windows closed," said New South Wales state Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan.
Bureau of Meteorology spokeswoman Jane Golding said gale force winds from the northeast of New South Wales state had whipped up the dust from Australia's drought-stricken inland and spread it across Australia's most populous state.
"This dust is acting like a cloud layer," said Ms Golding.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...storm-blankets-Sydney-disrupts-transport.html
An outback dust storm swept across eastern Australia and blanketed Sydney on Wednesday, disrupting transport and placing health authorities on alert for widespread respiratory illness.
The dust blacked out the outback mining town of Broken Hill on Tuesday, forcing one mine to shut down, and then swept east, shrouding Sydney in a red glow on Wednesday morning.
International flights were diverted from Sydney, ferries on Sydney Harbour were suspended and commuter motorists warned to take care on roads as visibility was dramatically reduced.
Health authorities urged people with asthma or breathing difficulties to stay indoors.
"People who have any breathing issues stay inside and keep the windows closed," said New South Wales state Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan.
Bureau of Meteorology spokeswoman Jane Golding said gale force winds from the northeast of New South Wales state had whipped up the dust from Australia's drought-stricken inland and spread it across Australia's most populous state.
"This dust is acting like a cloud layer," said Ms Golding.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...storm-blankets-Sydney-disrupts-transport.html
