'Iron storm' dyes Western Australia's sky red

The sky over coastal Western Australia turned red as cyclone Narelle approached, creating a scene many described as "apocalyptic".

On 27/3, cyclone Narelle made landfall in Western Australia. Social media images shared today by Australian media captured the moments before the storm's arrival, revealing a blood-red sky over Shark Bay.

"The scene outside was truly eerie, everything covered in dust," wrote the Shark Bay Caravan Park's Facebook page in Denham, sharing images of the phenomenon.

Sky turns red in Denham, Western Australia, 27/3. *Video: Facebook/Shark Bay Caravan Park*

Kerrie Shepherd, a Denham resident, stated she had never witnessed anything similar. "As the afternoon progressed, the sky turned increasingly orange," she recounted. "By about 3:30 PM, we stepped outside and saw red everywhere."

Other areas in the region also reported unusual orange skies.

Sky turns orange in a coastal area of Shark Bay, 27/3. *Photo: Shark Bay News & Views*

Today, the Guardian quoted Jessica Lingard, an expert with the Australia National Bureau of Meteorology, who explained that strong winds combined with the region's iron-rich red soil created the phenomenon. Pilbara, the country's iron ore industrial hub, lies less than 400 km northeast of Denham.

"Cyclone Narelle picked up dust and swept through the area," Lingard explained. "Strong winds and dry soil created ideal conditions, and photographers captured the spectacle."

Angus Hines, also an expert with the Australia National Bureau of Meteorology, added that the phenomenon was "more eerie than usual" because the thick storm clouds blocked direct light, causing the red dust light to diffuse evenly, like a giant light panel.

Sky turns red in Denham, Western Australia, 27/3. *Photo: Guardian*

The Denham campsite later confirmed the sky had returned to blue. "Everything is completely different after 48 hours," they posted. "We are now cleaning up dust clinging everywhere."

Cyclone Narelle made history as the first storm system in over two decades to simultaneously make landfall across three Australian states and territories. While Shark Bay avoided the worst impacts, other localities like Exmouth suffered heavy damage.