Residents of Shark Bay in Western Australia witnessed an eerie phenomenon as the sky turned a deep blood red ahead of Tropical Cyclone Narelle's landfall. The spectacle, captured on video in Denham, was caused by a dust storm whipped up by the cyclone's strong winds, mixing with the region's iron-rich soil.
Narelle crossed into Western Australia on Friday, hitting the state roughly 900 kilometres north of Perth in the food bowl region. The storm system brought high winds that picked up rust-red dust from the landscape, pushing it through areas like Shark Bay.
Jessica Lingard from the Bureau of Meteorology explained that the combination of dry ground, iron-rich earth, and strong winds created the perfect conditions for the dust storm. She noted that the Pilbara region, less than 400 kilometres northeast of Denham, is the centre of Australia's iron-ore industry, contributing to the red colouration.
Lingard added that a similar phenomenon occurred in Onslow in January, when inland thunderstorms generated strong winds that pushed red dust to the coastline. Narelle made history as the first storm system in over 20 years to make landfall in three Australian states and territories.
