The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →A 2018 video report from near Onslow, Western Australia, captures a drive changing from clear blue skies to grey and then near-darkness as dust engulfs the vehicle. The sequence unfolds over about two minutes, according to PerthNow’s report. It is a record of one hazardous encounter—not a guide to driving into a storm.
What the Onslow-area video shows
PerthNow published Simon White’s report at 6:37 p.m. on 17 February 2018, describing the footage as recorded near Onslow in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. Across roughly two minutes of video, the view shifts from bright blue sky to a grey backdrop, then to almost complete darkness as the vehicle reaches the densest dust.
The report says the storm apparently lasted “for the best part of an hour.” That is an approximate account, not a measured duration. The story does not identify the exact road or filming location, the driver or videographer, or the camera used. It also does not say what happened after the footage ends.
How a dust storm can form
The Bureau of Meteorology explains that dust storms form when strong winds lift dust and dirt from the ground and carry them across a wide area. Its general conditions for dust storms include strong wind, dry exposed soil, an unstable atmosphere and low moisture. The Bureau gives around 30 km/h as an approximate minimum wind speed, while noting that the threshold varies with the size of the dust particles. These are general conditions, not measurements from the Onslow-area video.
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In its 8 January 2019 explainer, the Bureau describes the process this way: “A dust storm happens when strong wind picks up dust and dirt from the ground, raises it into the atmosphere and carries it over an extensive area.” PerthNow also reported dry conditions near Onslow, saying the town had not received rainfall since January. That was the newspaper’s contemporaneous statement; it does not establish a verified rainfall total, exact measurement period or the conditions at the filming point.
Was Cyclone Kelvin responsible?
The dates overlap, but the available evidence does not establish a cause. PerthNow’s dust-storm report appeared on 17 February 2018. The Bureau of Meteorology’s February 2018 Monthly Weather Review records that Tropical Cyclone Kelvin was named on 17 February and made landfall near Anna Plains Station on 18 February. The review does not document the Onslow-area dust storm or connect it to Kelvin. The shared date is chronology, not proof that the cyclone caused the dust.
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What to do if dust cuts visibility while driving
The video shows how quickly visibility can deteriorate, but it is not a safe driving demonstration. The Bureau of Meteorology advises avoiding severe storms where possible. If visibility drops while you are driving, slow down or pull over somewhere safe, and switch the vehicle ventilation to recirculate. The Western Australian Department of Fire and Emergency Services likewise advises staying indoors and avoiding roads during severe storms; if visibility is poor, pull over and park with hazard lights on until conditions improve.
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- Follow advice from local emergency and health authorities.
- If you must go outside, the Bureau says to consider a P2 or P3 mask. A mask does not make driving through a dust storm safe.
- The sources do not establish whether the driver in the video stopped, or whether anyone was injured.
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