Dust devil trashes stall at Muttama market in NSW
A "crazy" weather event at a southern New South Wales market has shocked onlookers and almost blown away a stall gazebo.
Seriya Blackmore was selling baby clothing at a market at Muttama, north of Gundagai, on Sunday when a dust devil struck the stall.
"It was crazy, it came all of a sudden and everyone was doing the best they could to hold their tents," she told ABC Riverina Breakfast.
"It wasn't even that windy."
A video of the incident shows a whirly wind forming among market stalls, before it picks up Ms Blackmore's gazebo.
"There's a man, if you can see the video, he's grabbed it just in time and he's held on for his life," she said.
Ms Blackmore said the event "happened within a few seconds" before bystanders helped put the stall back together.
She was not aware of any injuries as a result.
"Four other men came over and they fixed it and put it back up and all the ladies were helping me clean the clothes off and dust all the dust off," she said.
"Lots of people came over and still bought some things and were saying they were sorry and glad that I set back up."
Miriam Bradbury from the Bureau of Meteorology said dust devils were caused by hot air rising from the ground.
"It creates unstable conditions which eventually forms a vortex, this rapidly rotates and starts stretching upwards, intensifying this circulation," she said.
Ms Bradbury said dust devils would eventually dissipate once they come in contact with cooler air.
"It'll move into the shade, or it'll move into a pocket of cooler air and instead of drawing in the warm air, it draws in the cool air and that helps it topple over," she said.
"Usually they dissipate less then a minute or so after forming.
"They can last longer ... but that's quite unusual."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Sewage spills in Perth's south leave Bruce Lee Reserve in Beaconsfield covered in wastewater
Authorities say it could take days to fix a burst wastewater main that kickstarted a number of sewage spills in Perth's southern suburbs over the weekend, with residents still reeling from the stench of wastewater that inundated local parks. The problems started when a sewage pipe burst on Friday morning in the suburbs of Hamilton Hill and Spearwood, causing wastewater to flow down a residential street, into two homes and the front yards of another four. To stop the flow of wastewater, authorities needed to switch off the pump stations and pump the sewage away from the area. But the diverted pressure caused a second burst in Beaconsfield on Saturday morning. The odour was still affecting residents in Beaconsfield on Tuesday morning, when a large pool of wastewater could be seen on the soccer pitches at Bruce Lee Reserve. Parts of South Fremantle and the Fremantle fishing boat harbour were also impacted, while the stench of human waste has lingered across the area for four days. Karen Willis from the Water Corporation said authorities had managed to secure the area and the issue was now "under control", despite sewage still sitting in some parks. "We're going through now seeing that wastewater starting to recede. We'll work with the local councils to ensure that we do rectify any issues that have been caused as a result of that," she told ABC Radio Perth. A custom-made pipe to replace the one that burst in Spearwood is being fabricated and will be installed later in the week, Ms Willis said. "We're looking at getting that reinstated certainly [within] the week," she said. It remains unknown what caused the original burst. "We're going to have to wait to get that section of pipe that burst back to look at that," Ms Willis said. "It could have been a pressure spike, it could have been a number of different things that could have caused that. "Because this was sort of an ancillary impact in the Beaconsfield area with that second burst, we'll certainly be looking along that pipeline to make sure we're aware of any other potential issues."
ABC News
4 hours ago
- ABC News
North Queensland residents struggle with restrictions on damaged road
There is growing frustration among residents of a rainforest community north of Townsville who are struggling with a permit system to return home each night. The Mount Spec Road, leading to the townships of Paluma and Hidden Valley, was cut by landslips during record-breaking monsoon rain in February. Alternative routes increase travel times by more than two hours along roads mainly suitable for four-wheel drives. Queensland's Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) has not provided a timeline for fully reopening the road. It last month introduced a permit system for full-time residents to access Mount Spec between 6am and 6pm. "We assure the community that we are working as quickly and safely as possible to progress critical repairs," a spokesperson said. Traffic controllers monitor entrances and the road is shut and monitored by cameras outside permitted hours. Tourism operators said the impact had been "devastating", with one business estimating more than $100,000 in lost bookings. Rhett Harrison, who lives between Paluma and the Hidden Valley, said the permit system had been challenging. "After you work an eight-hour day, by the time you travel into town, you really haven't got a lot of time to be able to live your life, get groceries and you have to pretty much hope there's not an accident on the way back to the range road," he said. Mr Harrison worked from home and homeschooled his son while Mount Spec Road was closed, and relocated to his sister's house in Townsville to reduce travel times. "We would come back in and stay at her place for the entire week, all in one bedroom," he said. "Pretty much so that we could go to work, so that he could have some level of normalcy of being able to return to school." He said he wanted access hours to Mount Spec Road reviewed. "I actually think that road is safer to drive at night because if there are any vehicles oncoming I can see them because of the headlights," he said. Paluma and District Community Association president Jamie Oliver said part-time residents were being denied access to their homes and the community was growing frustrated. "For those people who work in town and finish by around 5:30pm, it's very difficult to get to the start of the road by six," he said. "It's still extremely inconvenient even for those permit holders to get up." Mr Oliver said residents wanted TMR to release geotechnical expert assessments so they could understand the key data and logic behind the department's decisions. "Repeatedly we get nothing but vague information that is contained in the road reports," he said. "It really is infuriating and insulting to be held in this kind of disregard." A TMR spokesperson acknowledged the residents' frustration and said public safety had remained a top priority throughout the planning process. The spokesperson said the department would continue to update the community. "Engineering reports are complex technical documents and uncontrolled distribution can lead to misinterpretation and misinformation," they said. The authority said it was complying with conditions outlined by geotechnical experts, which included limiting the number of vehicles travelling on the road to reduce the risk of further landslips. They said the 6am-to-6pm timeframe provided drivers with the "best opportunity" to react to oncoming hazards. "TMR anticipates changes may be made to the conditions once restoration works occur and the risk of the slope sites reduces," they said. "Traffic data is being monitored and if volumes remain within safe limits, TMR would be able to issue further permits to other residents within the area, including those who reside there part-time."
The Advertiser
5 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Wild and windy: 90 kilometre wind gusts lash the Hunter in cold snap
WILD and windy conditions have swept through the Hunter over the King's Birthday long weekend, bringing icy temperatures and damaging weather. The gale-force winds brought down a large tree across Black Hill Road near Minmi, where emergency services were called to assist. The Bureau of Meteorology's Belinda House said a low-pressure system in southern parts of the Tasman Sea off the south coast of NSW caused the gusty environment. "The Hunter is on the northern side of that low-pressure system, so we're seeing those fairly fresh and gusty, west-northwesterly winds funnelling down through the Hunter Valley," she said. The Nobbys Head weather station recorded a wind gust of 91km/h on Monday morning, June 9, at about 11am. "Since then, it's been gusting between 70 and 90 kilometres all morning. It's likely we'll continue to see a fairly windy day right across the Hunter for the rest of the day and again tomorrow," she said. Temperatures on Monday saw Newcastle reach a top of 15 degrees with a feels-like temperature of six. Further up the Hunter, the mercury dropped with Scone and Muswellbrook forecast to reach just 12 degrees and 13 in Singleton and Cessnock. "They are really cold daytime temperatures. On Tuesday, we can expect temperatures to warm up a bit, pushing 18 or 19 degrees through parts of the coast," Ms House said. "But it will be a reasonably chilly night with parts of the Upper Hunter likely to get down to six or seven degrees." She said the combined conditions and cold temperatures were a recipe for snow to fall at Barrington Tops. "We don't specifically have a report for Barrington Tops, we have measured precipitation. So, it's cold enough, it's high enough. I think it's a safe assumption. Knowing that we've seen snow fall up through the tablelands, that there will have been some snow up there," she said. "There is no chance for snow after Monday." The Barrington Tops remained closed until further notice on June 9 due to recent flooding. The public is urged to avoid affected areas. WILD and windy conditions have swept through the Hunter over the King's Birthday long weekend, bringing icy temperatures and damaging weather. The gale-force winds brought down a large tree across Black Hill Road near Minmi, where emergency services were called to assist. The Bureau of Meteorology's Belinda House said a low-pressure system in southern parts of the Tasman Sea off the south coast of NSW caused the gusty environment. "The Hunter is on the northern side of that low-pressure system, so we're seeing those fairly fresh and gusty, west-northwesterly winds funnelling down through the Hunter Valley," she said. The Nobbys Head weather station recorded a wind gust of 91km/h on Monday morning, June 9, at about 11am. "Since then, it's been gusting between 70 and 90 kilometres all morning. It's likely we'll continue to see a fairly windy day right across the Hunter for the rest of the day and again tomorrow," she said. Temperatures on Monday saw Newcastle reach a top of 15 degrees with a feels-like temperature of six. Further up the Hunter, the mercury dropped with Scone and Muswellbrook forecast to reach just 12 degrees and 13 in Singleton and Cessnock. "They are really cold daytime temperatures. On Tuesday, we can expect temperatures to warm up a bit, pushing 18 or 19 degrees through parts of the coast," Ms House said. "But it will be a reasonably chilly night with parts of the Upper Hunter likely to get down to six or seven degrees." She said the combined conditions and cold temperatures were a recipe for snow to fall at Barrington Tops. "We don't specifically have a report for Barrington Tops, we have measured precipitation. So, it's cold enough, it's high enough. I think it's a safe assumption. Knowing that we've seen snow fall up through the tablelands, that there will have been some snow up there," she said. "There is no chance for snow after Monday." The Barrington Tops remained closed until further notice on June 9 due to recent flooding. The public is urged to avoid affected areas. WILD and windy conditions have swept through the Hunter over the King's Birthday long weekend, bringing icy temperatures and damaging weather. The gale-force winds brought down a large tree across Black Hill Road near Minmi, where emergency services were called to assist. The Bureau of Meteorology's Belinda House said a low-pressure system in southern parts of the Tasman Sea off the south coast of NSW caused the gusty environment. "The Hunter is on the northern side of that low-pressure system, so we're seeing those fairly fresh and gusty, west-northwesterly winds funnelling down through the Hunter Valley," she said. The Nobbys Head weather station recorded a wind gust of 91km/h on Monday morning, June 9, at about 11am. "Since then, it's been gusting between 70 and 90 kilometres all morning. It's likely we'll continue to see a fairly windy day right across the Hunter for the rest of the day and again tomorrow," she said. Temperatures on Monday saw Newcastle reach a top of 15 degrees with a feels-like temperature of six. Further up the Hunter, the mercury dropped with Scone and Muswellbrook forecast to reach just 12 degrees and 13 in Singleton and Cessnock. "They are really cold daytime temperatures. On Tuesday, we can expect temperatures to warm up a bit, pushing 18 or 19 degrees through parts of the coast," Ms House said. "But it will be a reasonably chilly night with parts of the Upper Hunter likely to get down to six or seven degrees." She said the combined conditions and cold temperatures were a recipe for snow to fall at Barrington Tops. "We don't specifically have a report for Barrington Tops, we have measured precipitation. So, it's cold enough, it's high enough. I think it's a safe assumption. Knowing that we've seen snow fall up through the tablelands, that there will have been some snow up there," she said. "There is no chance for snow after Monday." The Barrington Tops remained closed until further notice on June 9 due to recent flooding. The public is urged to avoid affected areas. WILD and windy conditions have swept through the Hunter over the King's Birthday long weekend, bringing icy temperatures and damaging weather. The gale-force winds brought down a large tree across Black Hill Road near Minmi, where emergency services were called to assist. The Bureau of Meteorology's Belinda House said a low-pressure system in southern parts of the Tasman Sea off the south coast of NSW caused the gusty environment. "The Hunter is on the northern side of that low-pressure system, so we're seeing those fairly fresh and gusty, west-northwesterly winds funnelling down through the Hunter Valley," she said. The Nobbys Head weather station recorded a wind gust of 91km/h on Monday morning, June 9, at about 11am. "Since then, it's been gusting between 70 and 90 kilometres all morning. It's likely we'll continue to see a fairly windy day right across the Hunter for the rest of the day and again tomorrow," she said. Temperatures on Monday saw Newcastle reach a top of 15 degrees with a feels-like temperature of six. Further up the Hunter, the mercury dropped with Scone and Muswellbrook forecast to reach just 12 degrees and 13 in Singleton and Cessnock. "They are really cold daytime temperatures. On Tuesday, we can expect temperatures to warm up a bit, pushing 18 or 19 degrees through parts of the coast," Ms House said. "But it will be a reasonably chilly night with parts of the Upper Hunter likely to get down to six or seven degrees." She said the combined conditions and cold temperatures were a recipe for snow to fall at Barrington Tops. "We don't specifically have a report for Barrington Tops, we have measured precipitation. So, it's cold enough, it's high enough. I think it's a safe assumption. Knowing that we've seen snow fall up through the tablelands, that there will have been some snow up there," she said. "There is no chance for snow after Monday." The Barrington Tops remained closed until further notice on June 9 due to recent flooding. The public is urged to avoid affected areas.
