Pictures and video show vast clouds of dust towering over the town in north-western Victoria, Australia

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A huge dust storm blanketed the north-west Victorian town of Mildura on Tuesday afternoon, turning daylight to midnight in a matter of minutes as the front blew in from the west.

Tanvi Mor, who was at the airport when the storm came in about 5pm, said “it seemed to be swallowing Mildura”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Mildura has been hit by its worst dust storm in years Photograph: Michael Moodie

Mor said it was Mildura’s worst dust storm in 40 years. Pictures and video posted on social media showed vast clouds of dust towering over the town.

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The North Star Mildura Motors salesman Shaun Blythman said the dealership was scrambling to clean 100 cars coated in a chocolate brown film on Wednesday morning.

Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) Impressive vision of the dust storm that moved through #Mildura airport at 5pm. Wind gusts reached 57 km/h in the storm, while #Walpeup had gusts to 87 km/h and #Hopetoun hit 85 km/h. A severe weather warning is current for the #Mallee: https://t.co/N1uhs307nn #VicWeather pic.twitter.com/5otLZEVeqG

“There’s three staff out there at the moment mopping up,” he said.

He said initially it looked like a big thunderstorm was coming and then it went pitch black.

“It was like a thick wall,” Blythman said.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Mildura residents said the dust storm looked like a thick wall. Photograph: Michael Moodie

A senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, Richard Carlyon, said it was uncommon to have a dust storm in May.

marcusparker23 (@marcusparker23) Before and after of Mildura #duststorm at 5pm today. No during shot as it was pitch black @MikeLarkan @JaneBunn pic.twitter.com/TkpAfdUs4w

“Normally you would see it in the drier parts of the year, in summer,” he said. “It has been a very dry start to the year.”

Carlyon said heavy rain last week missed the the far west of Victoria and South Australia.

“Normally this time of year we’ve had enough rain and we don’t see dust,” he said.