Marguerite
Active Member
Wow, what wild weather we be havin'!
Apparently this storm was the one that flooded South Australia a few days ago and then hit Canberra with a massive dust storm. Well, it hit us last night.
If you've read the Good Morning thread for Tuesday you may have noticed I mentioned getting the washing in because the satellite image (and the weather forecast, which also uses the satellite image) said that there was a massive front of heavy rain and possible hail on the way, with wild winds. Well, the winds were right. And there were a few drops of rain. But what there was, foolingthe satellite - was DUST!
We woke this morning to a permanent sunrise, everything opaquely orange. The airposrt was shut down, the ferries were stopped, even the traffic was in trouble. They were advising people to stay indoors if they could, to certainly not go exercising anywhere (because even indoors, you draw the dust down into your lungs so deep you won't shift it in a hurry). Health warnings out in force.
The storm picked up a vast amount of dust because everything inland is so dry. The front drops rain, sometimes where it's needed, but unless it drops the rain first, all it does is pick up what's left of any topsoil and whip it up to take it on with it.
It's now mid-morning, the dust is paler now but outside it's cold and windy. I've stuck my head out briefly. I can still taste the dust.
I'll attach some links to news for you. This is amazing!
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/sydney-turns-red-dust-storm-blankets-city-20090923-g0y1.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26113952-11949,00.html
http://inner-west-courier.whereilive.com.au/news/story/sydney-dust-storm/
One news program read an email from a weather scientist who said that dust storms like this are extreme, are the result of global warming (when they're this extreme) and can indeed continue around the globe. In the past, dust from storms like this has landed in New Zealand. I remember in past severe firestorms, they have had ash landing in New Zealand.
There was also very heavy flooding in South Australia as I mentioned, from part of this front. And there has been hail too. Plus yesterday afternoon there was a series of small earthquakes in Melbourne.
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/wild-weather-hail-flooding-hits-sa/12681
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20630591-2702,00.html
So come on over and visit Australia - it's really wild at the moment!
Marg
Apparently this storm was the one that flooded South Australia a few days ago and then hit Canberra with a massive dust storm. Well, it hit us last night.
If you've read the Good Morning thread for Tuesday you may have noticed I mentioned getting the washing in because the satellite image (and the weather forecast, which also uses the satellite image) said that there was a massive front of heavy rain and possible hail on the way, with wild winds. Well, the winds were right. And there were a few drops of rain. But what there was, foolingthe satellite - was DUST!
We woke this morning to a permanent sunrise, everything opaquely orange. The airposrt was shut down, the ferries were stopped, even the traffic was in trouble. They were advising people to stay indoors if they could, to certainly not go exercising anywhere (because even indoors, you draw the dust down into your lungs so deep you won't shift it in a hurry). Health warnings out in force.
The storm picked up a vast amount of dust because everything inland is so dry. The front drops rain, sometimes where it's needed, but unless it drops the rain first, all it does is pick up what's left of any topsoil and whip it up to take it on with it.
It's now mid-morning, the dust is paler now but outside it's cold and windy. I've stuck my head out briefly. I can still taste the dust.
I'll attach some links to news for you. This is amazing!
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/sydney-turns-red-dust-storm-blankets-city-20090923-g0y1.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26113952-11949,00.html
http://inner-west-courier.whereilive.com.au/news/story/sydney-dust-storm/
One news program read an email from a weather scientist who said that dust storms like this are extreme, are the result of global warming (when they're this extreme) and can indeed continue around the globe. In the past, dust from storms like this has landed in New Zealand. I remember in past severe firestorms, they have had ash landing in New Zealand.
There was also very heavy flooding in South Australia as I mentioned, from part of this front. And there has been hail too. Plus yesterday afternoon there was a series of small earthquakes in Melbourne.
http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/wild-weather-hail-flooding-hits-sa/12681
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20630591-2702,00.html
So come on over and visit Australia - it's really wild at the moment!
Marg