RED DUST STORM

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25085, 26 December 1944, Page 6

RED DUST STORM

DROUGHT CONTINUES MORE BUSH FIRES AUSTRALIA HARASSED CONDITIONS IN SYDNEY (Special Australian Correspondent) (Reed. 7.10 p.m.) SYDNEY, Dee. 25 Vast areas of New South Wales were blanketed under choking red dust during the week-end. Sydney experienced one of the most severe Christmas dust storms on record. Today much of the dust has blown out to sea and the atmosphere is clearer. More than 300 miles of the New South Wales coast line was affected. Such prolonged thick dust along the coast has not previously been recorded.

Visibility was reduced to one-third of a mile, creating navigation difficulties. Some air services were suspended because of the dust storms. Dust could be smelted and tasted in the air. It flavoured the food and could be detected in the water. The whole atmosphere was saturated with dust, so that it penetrated into rooms which had been sealed against it. The irritation set up by the dust has caused an epidemic of sore throats and catarrh in Sydney. Ear and eye diseases have noticeably increased. These conditions are caused by irritation and not by infection, since tho dust is not a disease carrier.

Severe bush fires occurred near Sydney during tho week-end, and warning has been given today that there is a great danger of further outbreaks. On Saturday and Sunday the brigades were called to 107 fires. About 20 homes were destroyed. Several hundred soldiers, policemen and holiday-makers saved moro than 50 other homes endangered bv bush fires. 'The Government meteorologist said today that there now appeared to be little hope of early relief from the continued disastrous drought, there was no hopeful sign of an advance south of tho existing monsoonal conditions which have relieved the drought in northern and central Queensland.