At-risk people are being urged to stay indoors if Sydney sees a repeat of the famous dust storm on Thursday.
A dust storm which began hitting Sydney early on Thursday morning is expected to bring poor air quality across the city throughout the day and into Friday.
The Bureau of Meteorology said on Thursday that light dust had started impacting the Sydney, Central Coast and Illawarra regions.
“The main band of thicker dust is still on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range,” BOM said.
It’s triggered warnings from experts for at risk people to avoid spending time outside and not engage in vigorous exercise during the dust storm, to avoid triggering a reaction.
Director of Environmental Health Dr Richard Broome said the warning was especially important for children, older persons, and people with chronic respiratory and cardiovascular conditions such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and heart disease.
“If possible, stay in air-conditioned premises where filtration systems can help to reduce dust particles in the air,” Broome said.
Dust particles may aggravate existing heart and lung conditions and trigger itchy or burning eyes, throat irritation, runny nose and illnesses such as bronchitis, NSW Health said in a statement.
“People with asthma or a lung condition who develop symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing, should follow their Asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Action Plan,” Broome said.
Asthma Australia also issued a warning on Thursday urging people with asthma to take “immediate preparations” ahead of the approaching storm.
“If you experience asthma symptoms and these worsen, seek medical intervention or in the event of an emergency call Triple Zero (000) and start asthma first aid,” they said in a statement.
