Sydney Skies Turn Red Due to Dust Storm

I wonder who will be first to blame this unusual dust storm on global warming?:

SYDNEYSIDERS have woken to a massive dust storm that blanketed the city in thick red dust, leaving Sydney airport in chaos, ferry services suspended and health authorities worried.

Large areas have been shrouded in dust as the state experiences severe winds and unseasonably warm temperatures.

Bureau of Meteorology spokeswoman Jane Golding said dust had settled on much of the state, including Sydney.

“We’ve had reports of low visibility up out as far up as Moree, Dubbo, Canberra’s got some raised dust in the area and Wollongong, so it’s very widespread,” she said.

The blanket of red dust began to shroud Sydney just before dawn after a cold front moved in from central Australia and western NSW.

It came as the state was experiencing unseasonably warm temperatures and followed reports of visibility reduced to just 10m in Broken Hill.

A Sydney airport spokesman said 10 inbound international Sydney flights had been diverted to Melbourne and Brisbane.

“They may get back later in the day,” he said. “We’ve got departures, they are occurring, but it’s slow.”  [Daily Telegraph]

I have never seen a dust storm as severe as this one on Australia’s east coast but I once saw a wind storm in Victoria two years ago that brought dust from the Outback that caused the sky to have a red tint to it.  The amount of dust from this storm is absolutely incredible though.

Here is a photo gallery with a bunch of photographs from this dust storm.  Here is a sample: