Updated on
Summary
A huge outback dust storm swept across eastern Australia and blanketed Sydney on Wednesday, disrupting transport, forcing people to stay indoors and stripping thousands of tonnes of valuable farmland topsoil. By noon on Wednesday the dust storm had spread to the southern part of Australia's tropical state of Queensland. International flights were diverted from Sydney, ferries on Sydney Harbour were suspended and commuter motorists warned to take care on roads as visibility was dramatically reduced. Many passengers were forced to wait at the airport for hours. By midday, domestic services were expected to resume normally while long ongoing delays were to continue in international flights, Australia Associated Press reported. The dust set off smoke alarms in some buildings in Sydney's central business district and brought construction work across the city to a halt. Health authorities urged people to stay indoors or limit their time outdoors due to the hazardous air quality and to close all windows and external doors, warning the dust storm was likely to continue into Thursday (September 24). More than 200 people called emergency services with breathing difficulties. The official air quality index for New South Wales state recorded pollutant levels as high as 4,164 in Sydney. A hazardous level is above 200.
