The massive dust storm that is blanketing large parts of New South Wales is making driving dangerous and posing a real health risk.
NSW Health has urged all road users to take extreme care as visibility deteriorates very quickly during a dust storm. It says if anyone is on the road and their ability to drive safely is impaired by poor visibility, they should reduce their speed and ne prepared to pull off the road if visibility deteriorates to less than 100 metres.
If a car is air-conditioned, motorists are advised to reduce the amount of dust entering their car by switching the air intake to ‘recirculate’.
Strong winds from a low-pressure system have whipped up masses of dirt across the drought-stricken state, forming a line of dust more than 500 kilometres long that can be seen from the Victorian border, through Canberra and up to Queensland.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the problem has been brought about by really dry conditions and winds which is bringing up dust from central Australia. The dust storm from far west New South Wales has now been moving to the state’s east.
“We have some dust visible on satellite images which is to the west of the ranges,” said BOM forecaster, Ashleigh Lange. “With these winds, it’s possible for it to move over to the coast … Sydney this morning had some visibility reductions.”
Sydney’s sky changed colour as the thick line of dust – which is “the size of Tasmania” and stretches almost the entire length of NSW – reached the city.
Reminds me of a massive dust storm when I was about 10, 60 years ago.
We were farming in the North Eastern wheatbelt of WA. It was Christmas day and we were at a relatives farm. Heavy red country and all the paddocks around the house had been in crop that year and about 2000 sheep were on that recently harvested 2000 acres. all kicking up dust making it all powdery for a dust storm. Blow did it blow. The ladies had just set up the tables for Dinner, the butters were out on the tables and we saw the storm coming. about 70 adults and kids all crammed into the lounge and kitchen. After it passed we all looked like we had been on the tractor, covered in red dust. didn’t spoil things though. Not as dusty these days not many sheep.