DUST STORM SHOULD REACH AUCKLAND TO-DAY

Grey River Argus, 14 October 1948, Page 5

DUST STORM SHOULD REACH AUCKLAND TO-DAY

P.A. AUCKLAND, Oct. 13

The dust storm that swept parts of Eastern Australia earlier this week is rapidly approaching New Zealand, and may pass over Auckland and the surrounding districts to-morrow. The storm is reported to have lost much of its intensity, and is expetced to be seen in New Zealand only as a fine haze, darkening the sky. The progress of the dust as a belt 150 miles wide, and several hundred miles long was reported by captains cf both of the Tasman Empire Airways flying boats that crossed from Sydney to-day. Both aircraft took 45 minutes to pass through the dust which was clearlv defined in an area of warm air between two colder patches. “Reddish dust covered a band of approximately 250 miles from Auckland,” said Captain D. W. G. Keesing” We flew over the storm at 10,000 feet. It extended up to that altitude, and was moving towards New Zealand at about fifteen knots. We could just see the sea through the haze to-day and noticed that the dust was thickest on the side of the storm nearest New Zealand. “It had thinned since yesterday, When flying at 6000 feet, we could not see the water, and we were flying on instruments.” The advance of the dust belt has been noted by the Auckland Weather Office which has received the pilots’ reports. The office said to-day that there was every indication that the dust area, which was over Lord Howe Island on Wednesday, would have decreased to a much narrower zone by to-morrow morning when it might'reach Auckland. It it continued at about fifteen knots, it was expected to take between six and ten hours to pass over. It was not likely that the dust would reach Auckland in sufficient density to cause public inconvenience.