Sydney Apocalypse Now !!

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 6:57 pm

Sydney is shut down.

Some freak meeting of hot air and cold air, dust, coastal fog and dawn. The photos I took are shrunk, but not otherwise altered in any way. There's an inch of red dust on cars parked in the street. I had to go out and am still coughing. People are wearing face masks. I'm heading out again to collect my son after his work shift - he's an asthmatic. Me too. We can wheeze together.

My younger daughter asked me about the Biblical plagues!! She was watching Halloween 6 at the time, in the course of her job at Movie Network television. Halloween seems to have come earlier than usual. Or else we've all been abducted by aliens.

In the photos you should be able to see the harbour bridge, the opera house... heck, just the harbour. Ferries cancelled. Airport shut. No birds. Just silence. Beam me up Scottie...

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Peg · Post by **Peg** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:35 pm

I've never heard of such a thing! What is the red dust? Be careful when you go to get your son.

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:46 pm

Yikes that is weird never seen such a thing where is the red dust coming from?:-6

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:23 pm

I guess the red dust is topsoil blown up by the winds out in the country. Maybe near where MrsK lives, and Fuzzy.

I had a shower as soon as I got back, and got red grit out of my hair, nose, ears, eyes..

Funny, last night - when the windstorm started, I had my windows open and suddenly we got a cloud of flies. I'm on the third floor, and don't get insects up here, and anyway Sydney flies are small. These were country flies, like you get round sheep or cattle. BIG. I drove some out again, and massacreed the rest. I think they must have been blown in on the wind. Either that or it really is the plagues of Egypt come upon us.

Guess I better go reread our resident numerologists' dire predictions..

THE END IS NIGH

Woe WOE WOE

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:27 pm

God only does that when hes really annoyed.

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 8:35 pm

Yep. Guess She's got the irrits pretty bad. I shall go sacrifice a pure hunky Manly lifeguard immediately. :sneaky:

The stories are starting to come in:

Man took his Alaskan husky out for a walk this morning. Dog came back a red setter!

TenneseeGirl · Post by **TenneseeGirl** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:03 pm

If I didn't know better I would tell you what gorgeous pictures you took of the rare sunset. That is crazy!! Maybe you should go buy some skiiing goggles and a face mask. If things get much worse you might have to start dressing like mad max.

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 12:55 am

TenneseeGirl;1245535 wrote: If I didn't know better I would tell you what gorgeous pictures you took of the rare sunset. That is crazy!! Maybe you should go buy some skiiing goggles and a face mask. If things get much worse you might have to start dressing like mad max.

As a passionate skier, I have only just put away my goggles, masks etc.. I think there's still some snow left on the Aussie slopes.. But yes- it's been quite scary. Clearing now, but high winds. Possibly clearing because of the high winds. I'm still coughing, though. Driving at lunchtime through the North Sydney CBD is usually a hair raising experience - today the streets were almost deserted..

mrsK · Post by **mrsK** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:03 am

Hope you survived that horror show Pam.:-6

What a night,poor kids today at school coughing etc.

Very cold here now but at least we have shovelled some dirt away from around the verandah's & courtyard.

Started dusting inside all the window sills etc .

At least our home will get a spring clean this year;):yh_rotfl

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:13 am

From the Tasmanian Examiner:

"It's just red, red, red as far as you can see," one caller at the Anzac Bridge told 2GB.

The fiery haze was the result of the sun hitting the blanket of dust, Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Jane Golding said.

"The reason for the dust is we had some really strong winds in the inland areas of NSW and in South Australia for a sustained period yesterday," she said.

"That's lifted a whole lot of dust off the ground because it's quite dry out there, many of those areas are still drought affected."

The lifted dust had been carried by the winds into Sydney

I guess the red dust is topsoil blown up by the winds out in the country.

Seems you were right, Pam.

Peg · Post by **Peg** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 4:27 am

I am still so amazed by this. With everyone coughing from it, it really worries me thinking about the ill and elderly. That stuff wouldn't be good in the lungs of the healthiest person.

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:07 am

The wind's dropped now, and it's clear outside and cold.

I can still taste grit, and we're all coughing. There were warnings on radio and television not to go outside if you had sensitive airways - and I think a lot of people did stay indoors.

Anyway, guess we'll all be doing a clean up tomorrow.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:18 am

AussiePam;1245487 wrote: I guess the red dust is topsoil blown up by the winds out in the country. Maybe near where MrsK lives, and Fuzzy.

I had a shower as soon as I got back, and got red grit out of my hair, nose, ears, eyes..

Funny, last night - when the windstorm started, I had my windows open and suddenly we got a cloud of flies. I'm on the third floor, and don't get insects up here, and anyway Sydney flies are small. These were country flies, like you get round sheep or cattle. BIG. I drove some out again, and massacreed the rest. I think they must have been blown in on the wind. Either that or it really is the plagues of Egypt come upon us.

Guess I better go reread our resident numerologists' dire predictions..

THE END IS NIGH

Woe WOE WOE

OK Cassandra, stop with the prophesying already

Seriously, it's going to take you weeks to clear up after a duststorm like that - don't envy you at all.

YZGI · Post by **YZGI** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:16 am

Pam, if you keep having dust storms the US may decide to invade. We like invading dust storm people.:yh_rotfl

almostfamous · Post by **almostfamous** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 8:17 am

That's Wild! :-3

YZGI;1245610 wrote: Pam, if you keep having dust storms the US may decide to invade. We like invading dust storm people.:yh_rotfl

:yh_rotfl

flopstock · Post by **flopstock** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 8:29 am

AussiePam;1245590 wrote: The wind's dropped now, and it's clear outside and cold.

I can still taste grit, and we're all coughing. There were warnings on radio and television not to go outside if you had sensitive airways - and I think a lot of people did stay indoors.

Anyway, guess we'll all be doing a clean up tomorrow.

Get some pics before everythings disturbed by cleanup..

G#Gill · Post by **G#Gill** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:58 am

Gawd, Pam, you Aussies are having a year of horror ! And on top of that your boys didn't win the Ashes ! Somebody has upset the gaffer me thinks

I hope not too many people are affected health-wise with that dreadful 'smog'. It must be difficult to find clear air when such a storm hits the area.

Keep safe Pam :-6

There have been some pictures on UK TV, horrific ! No sign of the bridge or the Opera House !

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 4:08 pm

What a difference a day makes: I may have the angles marginally different, but same view - 24 hours apart.

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AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 4:12 pm

G#Gill · Post by **G#Gill** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 4:49 pm

AussiePam;1245781 wrote: What a difference a day makes: I may have the angles marginally different, but same view - 24 hours apart.

That is truly dramatic, Pam. Good photos !!!!

Clodhopper · Post by **Clodhopper** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 5:22 pm

It's a long time since I was in Sydney, but I think I've sat on the rocks where you took the photo of the Harbour Bridge. Your photo brought back some good memories. Thank you!

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:07 pm

Thanks Gill and Clodhopper. The pic was from my balcony. :sneaky:

mikeinie · Post by **mikeinie** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 3:35 am

Great photos,

What amazes me are the idiots out running and exercizing in this stuff.

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 4:18 pm

Man, oh man Pam:-6 Your pictures of Sydney Harbour are spectacular and so eerie...Geeze, it's like a horror movie with the dust settling in with monster and evil galore...like the movie.....Steven King's "The Mist."

I have never heard of such a duststorm like this. let me know if you find anymore infor about it. I think you said that it never happened before....?

Fascinating....

So glad no one was hurt....

kayleneaussie · Post by **kayleneaussie** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 1:55 pm

well looks like we have another dust storm .....can hardly see the mountains:( not as bad as the other day though.....

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:17 pm

Thanks Kathy. And yes, Kaylene. Not as bad as before. This one is kind of yellow. My son was going out filming today. Not any more. High winds too. Pookles!!!

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:24 pm

Wow, I am glad you are all right, that is very strange indeed!

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:36 pm

I just went out to the balcony to have another look. It's not red. Just looks like a heavy fog but with a pale brown undertone.

Found my son, plugged into the piano. He played me a melody he'd just written .. and explained how he'd orchestrate it for cello etc.. sort of about the dust storm. Amazing. It may yet turn up in a film score.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:48 pm

Very cool inspiration......

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 2:26 am

Wow! Glad to hear you and your son are okay! How weird and spooky are those red and yellow dust storms? I wonder if the next one will be green?

(A traffic light hat-trick of dust storms!)

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 6:07 am

How is it today?

AussiePam · Post by **AussiePam** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 1:49 pm

Completely clear, Chonsi. And yesterday improved, but the high winds remained and by evening it was quite cold. Strange. Looks like a nice sunny Sunday out there today, windy though.

Rapunzel - a green dust storm?! At least it would be sort of ecological. Grin.