New South Wales battered by hazardous dust storm in wake of record floods
The Australian state is grappling with a widespread dust storm days after record flooding that killed five and displaced 50,000 people
Australians in New South Wales are facing yet another extreme weather challenge even as thousands are still reeling from days of storms and unprecedented flooding.
Massive dust clouds blanketed parts of the state, including the capital of Sydney, on Tuesday, creating conditions which experts warn are hazardous to health.
Authorities warned of “extremely poor” air quality in some suburbs, with PM10 particle levels exceeding 600 – far above the “good” threshold of 40, according to environmental standards.
PM10 refers to particles with a diameter of 10 micrometres or fewer, which are “small enough to pass through the throat and nose and enter the lungs”, according to NSW Health. Short-term exposure to them can exacerbate pre-existing health conditions such as asthma and lung or heart disease.
Particles in the air may include dust, sea salt, and by-products from fires, vehicles and industrial sources, according to Air Quality NSW. “These particles can pass into the lungs,” the agency said, adding they can trigger breathing difficulties, eye and throat irritation, or worsen chronic bronchitis and asthma.
The dust storm originated in South Australia and swept across Victoria, reducing visibility to as little as 300 metres (1,000 feet) before moving into central and southeastern New South Wales, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
“We do have damaging wind warnings current for much of the ranges of New South Wales,” senior metrologist Dean Narramore said, adding that the gusts of winds could reach up to 90km/h (56mph).
Sydney residents have been advised to stay indoors after strong westerly winds left the city’s cove covered in yellow dust.
More than 3,000 were without power on Tuesday as the winds ripped through the state, tearing down trees and power lines. Students were also asked to stay home due to power outages.
The dust haze was a result of “prolonged dry weather conditions and strong and gusty winds ahead of a very strong cold front”, Jiwon Park, a weather forecaster from the Bureau of Meteorology, told ABC News.
These windy conditions are set to ease by Tuesday evening before picking up again on Thursday, with heavy rainfall helping to “flush out the dust particles”, Park said.
The dust storm is the latest in a series of severe weather events that have battered the state in recent weeks.
Last week, parts of New South Wales received four months’ worth of rain in just two days. The resulting floods inundated towns, killing five people and isolating nearly 50,000 residents, prompting the local government to declare a natural disaster.
Around 800 properties have been declared uninhabitable, ABC News reported on Tuesday.
The floods have posed “massive challenges” and the recovery would take several months, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday.
“Tragically, we’re seeing more extreme weather events. They’re occurring more frequently, and they’re more intense.”
