Red dust storm shrouds Sydney

AUSTRALIA’S worst dust storm in 70 years blanketed the heavily populated east coast yesterday in a cloud of red outback grit, nearly closed the country’s largest airport and left millions of people coughing and sputtering in the streets.

No one was hurt as aresult of the storm but ambulance services reported a spike in emergency calls from people with breathing difficulties, and police warned drivers to take it easy on the roads.

Dust clouds blowing east from Australia’s dry interior — parched even further by the worst drought on record — covered dozens of towns and cities carry hundreds of miles by strong winds.