Massive cloud of dust captured as storm sweeps Southern Downs
A CLOUD of dust covered all of south western Queensland, including the Southern Downs, when storms swept into the region this week.
Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Jess Gardner said the Monday storm covered all the way from Queensland to the Northern Territory, after a line of storms kicked up dust from New South Wales.
“There were some pretty big gusts coming off that storm,” Ms Gardner said.
“There was a lot of dust behind the those storms as they came through. So in the afternoon before storm hit there was storm outflow and later in evening, after storms passed, there was dust behind it.”
Ms Gardner said towns south of Warwick caught massive winds as Applethorpe reported gusts of up to 57kmh.
While the worst of the dust storm has passed, Ms Gardner said to keep an eye out for the rest of the day.
“There’s probably still dust all around the area today but I can see in the satellite that it’s clearing,” she said.
As for rain, Ms Gardner said it wasn’t drought-breaking by any means, with a measly 1mm recorded in town.
But there is a chance for some more rain later this week.
“We do have a chance of storms again today and tomorrow and a chance of storms for the next few days,” she said.
There was also a severe storm warning in place for the Darling Downs today but Ms Gardner said it would mostly hit north of Warwick so residents shouldn’t hold their breath.
“The chances (of rain) are similar to Tuesday, we might only see the odd millimetre here and there,” she said.