Blood-red sky as Cyclone Narelle makes landfall in Western Australia
Blood-red sky as Cyclone Narelle makes landfall in Western Australia
Dramatic iron-rich dust turns WA skies blood-red ahead of Cyclone Narelle's landfall, with Denham and Shark Bay witnesses capturing the eerie scene.
Western Australia woke to an almost otherworldly sight as Tropical Cyclone Narelle approached the coast, turning the sky over Denham and Shark Bay a deep rust-red. Video and witness accounts described a dramatic dust storm as winds swept across iron-rich soils, lifting chalky dust into the air ahead of landfall.
Experts explained that the colour comes from iron-infused dust kicked up by gusts in dry conditions. The rust-covered plains around the Pilbara and the ferruginous sands of the region provided the raw material for the eerie display, which many observers compared to a Martian horizon.
Narelle's path is notable for crossing multiple coastlines; it hit WA roughly 900km north of Perth in the region known for its food production. Footage from Denham's Shark Bay area captured the red hue and swirling dust before the cyclone's arrival, underscoring the forecasters' warnings of strong winds and heavy rain.
The storm's approach marks a rare meteorological event, being described as the first in more than two decades to make landfall on three Australian coastlines. Authorities have urged residents to stay tuned to official briefings and prepare for possible disruptions to power and transport.
While the spectacular sky drew attention, meteorologists emphasized the potential danger the cyclone poses, and locals braced for impacts as Narelle moves inland.
