AUSXIP MaryD's Blog - Sydney Goes Freaky Orange!

I get up this morning and there is a mini gale blowing outside. That's normal for Sydney on some days - we had a super hot day yesterday (yes it is Spring and not summer). Because it's so dark when I get up I don't notice anything until around 6 am when I look out the window and there is an orange haze...I figured we might be getting hail but this was not your normal 'Sydney is about to get a ton of stuff thrown at it' look.

Went online and found the cause. There is a blanket of dust covering the STATE and it's not due to lift until the evening (if that).

I have NEVER seen this before and I have live in Sydney my whole life. I've seen it go hazy because of bushfires but NEVER this colour. It's truly freaky.

The news.com.au site has this report:

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RESIDENTS of Sydney and parts of New South Wales have awoken to scenes likened to "armageddon", with limited visibility and orange skies.

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.

"It's pretty widespread," she told ABC Radio.

"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."

Fire services were kept busy all morning as fire alarms were activated around the city.

One Sydney resident said on Twitter: "Fire alarm in apartment won't shut up. Argh! I slept through it too. Sky is red also. Slightly freaking me out. Back to bed."

Other Twitter posts included:

Tors: Is it the end of the world? Sydney sky is red like in a Stephen King novel.

Dawn: gale, creepy red fog, sound of sirens. WTF? Expecting Martian war machine to lurch into view any minute.

The weather bureau has issued a severe weather warning for damaging winds in Sydney with a gale warning issued for Sydney closed waters.

"Strong to gale force west to northwest winds, gradually easing late afternoon and evening," the Bureau says.

It says "raised dust likely".

Ms Golding said the warm temperatures would continue today.

"The winds stayed up a little bit last night and that kept the minimum temperatures up a little bit but this dust is acting like a cloud layer as well so that will be keeping the temperature from dropping out any more."

Ms Golding said the weather system was moving in from the west and Sydney could expect dusty conditions throughout the morning.

Gale force winds of up to 100km/h have hit the Hunter region before moving through Sydney early on Wednesday.

"Dubbo's still in pretty thick dust. The dust will last a bit but we're also expecting those winds to pick up as well."

Ms Golding said the barometric pressure had dropped significantly.