The moment a violent dust storm turned a country NSW town from bright orange to pitch black has been caught on video.
The footage was shot yesterday afternoon in Broken Hill in the state's central west as the storm, the worst in at least 70 years, blew across the state.
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The woman behind the camera is filming her backyard when a thick black cloud of dust begins gusting in. (Read more: East coast choked)
"Oh my gosh ... I think we better go inside," she can be heard saying.
The black cloud continues moving in until nothing can be seen. It takes just 40 seconds.
"Holy s*** ... that is like dark time ... I can't even see in front of the camera ... it's just gone completely black," the woman can be heard saying.
The woman, who posted the video on YouTube, said it was the "worst dust storm I've ever experienced In my 10 years of living in Broken Hill".
The storm began in South Australia yesterday after strong westerly winds kicked up dirt and dust then moved into NSW overnight before blowing into Brisbane today.
Sydneysiders donned scarves and masks as they braved the dust for their morning commute as health authorities warned asthma sufferers and children to stay inside. (Read more: Havoc for farmers)
The Bureau of Meteorology's Regional Director for NSW Barry Hanstrum told the ABC an event like this was "extremely rare".
"It's one of the worst, if not the worst," Mr Hanstrum was quoted as saying.
The dust has started to clear in the Sydney CBD although forecasters say the skies will not be completely clear until late this afternoon.
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