Must Listen

Must Read

What Art Thinks

Pre-Millennialism

Today's Headlines

  • Sorry... Not Available
Man blowing a shofar

Administrative Area





Locally Contributed...

Audio

Video

Special Interest

Daily News
25450
“Enormous Dust Storm 'Turned Day Into Night' in Town of Bedourie in Far Western Queensland”
by ABC News   
December 5th, 2014
The dust storm turned day into night in Bedourie
The dust storm turned day into night in Bedourie.

A massive dust storm has turned day into night in the small town of Bedourie in Queensland's south-western corner.

Bedourie borders the Simpson Desert and the town's name actually means "dust storm" in the local Indigenous language.

Bedourie resident Maggie den Ronden said she had never seen anything like it, with dust turning the town dark for about 90 minutes.

She said clouds of dust appeared on the horizon and quickly engulfed the town.

"Taking up kilometres, it was enormous - the whole town was shrouded in orange, reddy, sandy colour," she said.

"It had gone from brilliant daylight to just, you couldn't see to the end of the street.

"It was quite amazing and we had that for about an hour and a half."

Graziers in parts of the Diamantina Shire around Birdsville have reported other dust storms in recent weeks, the problem exacerbated by the lack of grass cover due to the ongoing drought.

The approaching dust storm stretched toward the horizon.
The approaching dust storm stretched toward the horizon.

Doug Cooms from the Bedourie Roadhouse said he had not seen anything like it for years.

"It just basically turned day into night," he said.

"Unfortunately there was no rain behind it.

"We had a lot of wind, a lot of sand blasting. But all good in the end - no-one got hurt.

"It gets in your eyes, in your mouth.

"I am just standing in our restaurant and there is dust everywhere."

go back button