Sand Storm in Australia

Sydney, 24 Sept. – Cleaning work in the city of Sydney has begun the day after the sandstorm that enveloped the city in a spectacular red cloud. Economic losses have been estimated at tens of millions of Australian dollars: the sand covered not only the motorways, but also entered homes, and the strong wind, which gusted at over 100 km per hour, destroyed hundreds of trees and roofs. The storm paralysed the metropolis and, according to experts, the event will have strong effects in coming weeks: ''When the climate is such that it isn't safe to go to work, there are great inconveniences'', commented Mark Goodsell, spokesman for the Australian industrialist union, forecasting losses connected to the suspension of work, employees unable to get to their offices, flight delays and cancellations, plus cleaning work. The phenomenon, which arrived from the centre of the continent, began Tuesday night, arriving in Sydney in the early morning, where more than 4 million citizens awoke in a surreal red light. The situation today from a weather point of view has changed radically: the 'moral capital' of Australia sits under the shining sun and the air is clean, even if dryness and strong winds continue in the area. The cloud of sand is now headed east, in the direction of the state of Queensland and the Tasmanian Sea.