WA weather: Onslow dust storm wows onlookers as State’s north continues week of wild weather

A spectacular dust storm swept past Onslow on Saturday afternoon as witnesses described the incident as ‘something out of a movie’.

Just after midday, the massive dust storm kicked up just outside of the Pilbara town in an impressive orange-brown display.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology the storm was caused by a thunderstorm pushing air down towards the ground, which then picked up loose dust and pushed it outwards.

Bureau senior meteorologist Joey Rawson said despite the “impressive” display, the weather causing it was not all that special.

“Most storms have the potential to give you that sort of gust through the summer period,” he said.

“I think the gust just hit some dirt that was really dry and maybe the right direction of wind just to pick it up to make that impressive cloud of dust just flying everywhere.”

According to Mr Rawson, gusts of up to 74km/h were recorded in the Pilbara at the time, compared to 115km/h recorded two days prior in Marble Bar when a freak storm destroyed six properties.

Tourist Julie Ray told the ABC the storm was like something out of an Indiana Jones movie.

“As we got closer and closer, it just got bigger and bigger and thicker,” Ms Ray said.

“I had never seen anything like it.

“It was just huge, heading towards (us) — and not knowing how fast it was coming either, you just knew you had to get away from it.”

The dust storm has been far from the only wild weather the State’s north has experienced in the last week.

On Monday, 274mm of rain fell in Karratha within 24 hours due to tropical cyclone Sean, bringing flooding along with it, while on Friday, Marble Bar bore the brunt of a freak storm.