The famous Sydney Opera House became hard to see, and many residents of the city were forced to wear masks to keep the dust out.
Dust storms are not unusual in the desert regions of Australia, but it is very rare for them to reach the coast and to cause problems over the cities and towns.
Children, elderly people and anyone who suffers from respiratory problems were strongly advised to stay indoors until the dust storm had blown over.
Air pollution levels caused by the storm were the highest ever recorded with as much as 15,500 micrograms of dust particles per cubic metre.
The terrible dust storm was eventually blown out to sea by the strong winds.
