Dust haze eases for Sydney but Hunter still covered
Sun Nov 29 15:29:10 EST 2009
Sun Nov 29 04:29:10 UTC 2009
SYDNEY, Nov 29 AAP - A dust haze across Sydney should completely clear on Sunday afternoon but the Hunter Valley is expected to be blanketed until evening.
The Bureau of Meteorology says it is not a dust storm, just "raised dust".
On Sunday morning, the haze extended from Sydney to the state's north west as far as Walgett and Moree.
"It's shrinking... conditions are improving," Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Peter Zmijewski said.
"The Hunter will be experiencing these conditions for the rest of the afternoon but towards the evening it should clear up.
"But now in Sydney it's improving as we speak."
The weather bureau says wind carried the dust from central Australia
Newcastle resident Brenden Wood told AAP the haze had reduced visibility to up to 500 metres in his street.
"It's got worse in the last half hour," he said.
"It's the second most dusty day of the year.
"The dust is yellow and golden."
The NSW Department of Environment warns people with breathing difficulties to remain indoors.
