Wacky Weather: Hottest Winter, Flash Floods, Snow and Dust Storms

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Australia has been having the wackiest weather this year which could be attributed to climate change. We just had the hottest winter (34 *C) in Brisbane last August, whilst other parts of the country are experiencing flash floods and snow storms. As far as I remember, August has been the coldest month in winter here in Australia due to wind chill factor.

Today, NSW and Southern Queensland was hit by a huge dust storm - a historic record with highest level of particles in the air 1,500 times than the normal, dumping 75,000 tons of dust per hour. Sydney residents woke up to an eerie armageddon-like red sky. The worst hit was the town of Broken Hill (NSW) where residents witness a blanket of dust turned day into night.

We’re supposed to be camping at Mount Mee but went home early yesterday due to bush fires. Little we know that another natural disaster is about to come. I’m just glad that we’re at home and not in the campground when the unexpected dust storm hit Queensland. Gust of wind carrying tons of dust swept through our neighborhood right before my eyes. I must say that it freaked me out a bit. I took few shots of the storm then closed our windows and doors to stop dust from coming in, though I still felt like I’m suffocating inside my own home. Hospitals have been busy accommodating people with asthma and other respiratory ailments.

Climatologists say that the dust storm we just experienced today is a sign that El Nino might be approaching. We could be facing another drought in the years to come.

Other Natural disasters within the span of 2 weeks

26th Sept. 2009 - another dust storm hit NSW and QLD
26th Sept. 2009 - Philippines had the worst flood in history since 1967 caused by typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) submerging 80%!o(MISSING)f Manila.
29th Sept. 2009 - a tsunami hit Samoa
30th Sept. 2009 - a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia, which precipitated a mudslide in Sumatra burying 3 villages.
6th Oct. 2009 - southern Indian states of Karnataka and Andra Pradesh were submerged with a historic record of highest flood level in 100 years after a long drought of 40 years.
7th Oct. 2009 - 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Vanuatu
7th-8th Oct. 2009 - landslides submerged Philippines Mountain Provinces, Benguet and Baguio with mud


Jamie says I have a strange interests on natural disasters. I'm obsessed on watching apocalypse/armageddon type of movies. I can watch "The Day After Tomorrow" over and over again. Maybe partly because I lived through a terrifying 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which claimed over 1600 souls, numerous typhoons and a neck-high flood.

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Photos

Dust Storm
in our street

Dust Storm
in front of our home

The Calm after the storm
woke up to a beautiful clear blue sky the next day

The Calm after the storm
woke up to a beautiful clear blue sky the next day