2009 Sydney dust storm
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Main article: 2009 Australian dust storm
The 2009 Sydney Dust Storm was a storm generated by a low pressure system across south eastern Australia. The storm was largely made up from red sand and dust particles commonly found in central Australia.
The storm hit Sydney in the early hours[1] of Wednesday, 23 September 2009, and was mostly dissipated by 1PM.
Disruptions on the city
Disruptions occurred to some areas of public transport, particularly public ferries that stopped operating due to the lack of visibility. Numerous flights in and out of Sydney were disrupted too. Flights into Sydney were diverted to Brisbane and Melbourne and outgoing flights were delayed until further notice.
About 1750 tonnes of dust[citation needed] were flown in from some 1000 kilometres away from Sydney.
As well as transport being affected, there were numerous reports of smoke alarms reacting to the thick dust. Superintendent Warwick Kidd says crews in Sydney had more than 500 call-outs that morning.[2]
The ambulance service had received around 140 calls from people having breathing difficulties because of the dust.[2]
References
- ^ "Dust storm engulfs NSW, heads for NZ". Ninemsn. 23 September 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
- ^ a b "Dust storm chokes Sydney". ABC News. 23 September 2009. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
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