Australian dust cloud blowing over Tasman Sea could hit New Zealand shores

The dust wall is heading towards New Zealand. Photo / Metservice

An enormous wall of dust which has swept over New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory is making its way over the Tasman Sea towards our shores.

MetService reports the dust is visible from satellite imagery.

Western parts of the South Island could be hit by the dust wall tomorrow.

Strong northwest winds are picking up large areas of the dust, MetService said, ahead of a cold front.

Other parts of the country could be hit, including central New Zealand, which would not be reached until Friday.

In this visible image we see large areas of dust (the hazy brown areas over northwest New South Wales) picked up by strong northwest winds ahead of a cold front. As the front moves over NZ Thursday western parts of the South Island may be affected and Central NZ on Friday.^AB pic.twitter.com/9zMHfQ8wzi

— MetService (@MetService) February 13, 2019

Satellite images have shown the dust streaming from NSW in a vast band through the state down to the South Coast.

It's already covered Canberra and the dust then headed for Sydney as the cold front marches north.

Sky News Weather channel meteorologist Rob Sharpe told news.com.au the dust was coming from a number of storms.

"There are dust storms across NSW and it's spread across a very wide area, all the way from the border region of Queensland and South Australia near Tibooburra and all the way down into the ACT and even to the South Coast at Ulladulla.

"A strong cold front surging through the southeast is picking up dust and that could easily get into Sydney, most likely overnight."

Additional reporting from News.com.au

It's not quite Armageddon, but strong winds are kicking a huge dust cloud through the middle of #Canberra.

Mt Ainslie barely visible from O'Connor ridge. pic.twitter.com/mIKCRu2rr3

— Adam Shirley (@adammshirley) February 12, 2019

Dust blowing in to Sydney. #duststorm pic.twitter.com/KDcaULE5j2

— Rae Bassett (@raejada) February 12, 2019

Oh hi Canberra what a nice dust storm this is thank you for making sure my flight home was the worst pic.twitter.com/mCuZK6nDrL

— ArthurianFish (@ArthurianFish) February 12, 2019