Onslow's Dust Storm Excitement

0:00Sydney's story is making news on March 2nd. A massive dust storm swept through the mining town of Oslo in Western Australia's Pilbara region yesterday. Winds hit 83 kilometers an hour there, about 1,400 kilometers north of Perth, covering everything in thick brown dust. Local photographer Michelle McCoy was setting up to shoot birds when she spotted the huge orange clouds rolling in fast. She grabbed her camera, switched lenses, and raced out to capture the scene before visibility dropped to almost nothing. Residents like McCoy, who's only lived there two years, though more excited than scared by the wild weather. She compared it to the thrill of an ice cream truck arriving, especially for newcomers not used to such intense outback events. Meteorologist Jessica Lingard explained it came from a microburst, triggered by inland thunderstorms. Picture a bucket of water tipping over the powerful downdraft slams into the ground and spreads out, kicking up dust from the bone-dry Pilbara soil. Picture below average rainfall this season.

1:01These storms don't last long, with winds calming within an hour. On's low saw a similar huge dust event last year under dry conditions too. Support for this DNN episode comes from our sponsor. Podcasts hit different when the sound comes from your pillow. Once you try it, it just makes sense. N-S-O-L-I-SOLI-PILO.com.