ORANGE workers have described the aftermath from Tuesday night’s dust storm as a “day from hell”.
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Residents woke to a red dawn yesterday after the dust storm blanketed the city and much of New South Wales on Tuesday night.
The storm was preceded by lashings of rain and severe winds, which hit Orange and the Central West on Tuesday afternoon.
Sustained winds of up to 100km/h carried the dust across the state from drought affected areas of South Australia.
At its worst, visibility in Orange was reduced to less than half a kilometre in the early hours of Wednesday morning and the red haze didn’t lift until lunchtime yesterday.
The storm left a huge clean-up job for most Orange households as well as many of the city’s businesses.
“It’s turned it into a day from hell,” Auto Central car detailer Paul Priest said.
“The dust has got into everything.
“We’re washing every car individually, inside the cars ... it’s going to be a nightmare for the next two weeks.”
Orange State Emergency Service said the city had still fared reasonably well in terms of overall damage, with only two calls placed for emergency assistance.
More than 20 calls were placed in Bathurst which bore the brunt of the storm and experienced some flooding.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Deryn Griffiths described the severity of the dust storm as “unusual” and almost unheard of in parts of New South Wales.
Historical data for dust storms in Orange wasn’t available but, based on Sydney data, Ms Griffiths said the last dust storm of a similar magnitude was in the 1940s.
The Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS) yesterday advised residents with respiratory problems to limit their exposure to the dust and, if possible, stay indoors.
“Even a cold or flu could be aggravated by the dust,” GWAHS environmental health service coordinator Ingo Steppat said.
Mr Steppat said anyone experiencing difficulty should contact their general practitioner for advice.
Weather conditions are expected to ease today but winds could pick up again ahead of possible showers tomorrow.