"It was like being on Mars," Sydney resident Tanya Ferguson told the BBC News. "I haven't been there, obviously, but I imagine that's what the sky would look like." She said when she woke up there was a big gust of wind blowing through her open windows. "The whole room was completely orange. I couldn't believe my eyes," she said.
"There was a really red glow inside the house, really crimson" Sydney resident Nick Beaugeard told the BBC. "It looked like the end of the world. It was like driving through a pea soup of fog, except it was bright red." Cars, buildings and streets, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House, turned orange as the dust clung to everything it touched. The dust, which had a gritty taste, gave people a dry mouth, but few people experienced breathing problems. By evening, the dust dissipated and the sky gradually returned to its rightful blue color.
