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Dust storm sweeps East Australia Desert dust storm chokes Sydney
(about 1 hour later)
A huge cloud of red dust driven by gale force winds has been choking Australia's biggest city, Sydney. Australia's biggest city, Sydney, has been shrouded in red dust blown in by winds from the deserts of the outback.
Residents have described scenes from a Hollywood disaster movie after waking to an eerie dawn. Visibility is so bad that international flights have been diverted and harbour ferry traffic disrupted.
Flights have been diverted and ferries cancelled, while road traffic has been at a crawl. Emergency services reported a surge in calls from people suffering breathing problems. Children and the elderly have been told to stay indoors.
It has been a difficult 24 hours for other parts of the Australian continent, which have been hit by earthquakes, hail storms and bushfires. Sydney's landmarks, including the Opera House, have been obscured, and many residents are wearing masks.
The wild conditions have been caused by thunderstorms that have scattered dust from drought-stricken inland regions. Traffic has been bumper-to-bumper on major roads.
The suffocating haze has forced many of Sydney's residents to seek refuge indoors, while those that have battled the elements have been stung by tiny particles of dust propelled by gale force winds. The dust blanketing eastern parts of New South Wales has been carried by powerful winds that snatched up tons of topsoil from the drought-ravaged west of the state.
Some of the city's most famous landmarks, including the Opera House, have been obscured. I've never seen anything like it in all my life, and I grew up here Police officer speaking to Australian broadcaster ABC class="" href="/2/hi/talking_point/8270107.stm">Your pictures: Sydney dust storm
Doctors have warned people with asthma as well as heart and lung disease to stay at home. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology warned of "widespread damaging winds" in Sydney and other areas, as gusts of 65km/h (40mph) hit the city.
Sydney's fiery dawn was caused by the sun hitting a blanket of dust that was whipped up by wild weather in parched areas of the New South Wales outback. Forecasters predicted the winds would weaken later on Wednesday.
The BBC's Phil Mercer in Sydney says it has been a difficult 24 hours for Australia, which has been hit by earthquakes, hail storms and bushfires.
In parts of New South Wales, huge hail stones whipped up by thunderstorms smashed windows and sent residents running for cover.
Further north in Queensland, officials banned open fires in many areas when bushfires sprang up after a spell of hot, dry weather.
Two minor earthquakes hit Victoria state on Tuesday, and heavy rains that followed led officials to issue a warning of flash floods.