Huge dust storm turns Melbourne urban surf park BROWN and leaves it looking as dirty as the Yarra River
- A Tullamarine Surf Park has been forced to close after horrific dust storm effects
- The park has been caked in the murky dust causing health and safety risks
- Weather conditions expected to worsen on Friday following the chaotic storm
Huge dust storms have turned a popular new surf park in Melbourne brown.
The water at Urbnsurf has turned as brown as the Yarra River after heavy rain and dust fell into the water on Thursday morning.
Images showed what appeared to be pool cleaners inside the murky brown water, which was a stark contrast from the crystal-blue pool usually seen at the park.
The park was forced to closed due to health and safety risks the dust produced.
In a statement issued to 7 News organisers said: ‘Our guests’ health and safety is paramount, so our dedicated facilities crew have been working around the clock to return our lagoon to its crystal-blue norm.’
All surfers were told to rebook their sessions online.
The unusual weather phenomenon was caused by a dust storm collecting in Victoria’s north-west during the day on Wednesday before a cold front carried the dirt over the state capital of Melbourne.
As residents woke to find their swimming pools muddied and their cars covered in dirt on Wednesday morning, work goers travelling through the CBD were astonished to find the Yarra river had turned brown.
The water at Urbnsurf Melbourne surf park is usually a clear crystal blue (see above)
The park was forced to close on Friday due to huge health and safety risks as the water turned a mucky brown
The Urban surf park is not the only place forced to close due to the storm, as the grimy rain drops discoloured the water so badly at the Harold Holt Swim Centre and Prahran Aquatic Centre in the city’s inner-east they were both also forced to close on Thursday morning.
Footage taken at Mildura almost 500km north-west of Melbourne on Wednesday afternoon showed the thick cloud of dust cover what had previously been a cloudy sky.
The storm has not only hit Melbourne, but today Sydneysiders woke to find the city also dusted in the red muddy gunk.
The Bureau of Metereology released a poor air quality warning for Friday, saying there were high pollution particle levels in the city.
It also warned of dust haze, smoke haze and a 70 per cent chance of rain – as well as a thunderstorm in the morning.
The dust is likely to blow around the city when a southeasterly 30km/h wind arrives in the early afternoon.
It is the second time this week that dusty conditions have torn through central new South Wales, with a terrifying red cloud turning day into night in Parkes and Dubbo on Sunday.
Officials warned a ‘very dangerous’ severe thunderstorm is on its way and will hit by 10am.
‘A very dangerous thunderstorm is moving towards parts of the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury, Gosford, Wyong and Sydney.
‘Severe thunderstorm warning for giant hailstones, heavy rainfall and damaging winds.’
The Yarra River, Melbourne (above) was turned to a muddy brown colour on Thursday making it unrecognisable to residents of the CBD