SHOWERS OF RED RAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20365, 20 September 1929, Page 13

SHOWERS OF RED RAIN.

MELBOURNE DUSTSTORM.

WOMEN'S CLOTHING RUINED.

Through a dust-laden atmosphere rain fell in Melbourne and suburbs on the night of August 30 and brought down red mud, which stained everything. Thousands of persons who had been shopping late and thousands more who were returning from business had their clothes and hats bespattered. Many women's hats and- frocks were ruined. Motor-cars, trams and trains were thickly splashed. . > It was impossible, to see through windows on which the rain had fallen and drivers of motor-cars had to Btop for fear of accident. Buildings, roads and footpaths were mudstained and water in gutters was a dirty brown. This was general throughout the metropolitan area, where the mudlike rain continued to fall in some places for half an hour, but it was not so thick as that which fell on New Year's Eve, 1927.

Heavy duststoras had occurred in the Mallee and "Wimmera and strong northwest winds blew clouds of fine red dust over Melbourne, charging the atmosphore with this powder. The wind dropped early in the evening, leaving a pall of red dust over the city. In the glare of the lights of the city the dust cloud could be seen distinctly in the sky. The effect was similar to the glare of a fire. Shortly before nine o'clock rain fell, precipitating the susponded particles of dust and bringing to earth light red mud.