Staggering images show apocalyptic dust and hail storms in Australia as extreme weather continues to hit country

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Jacob Jarvis20 January 2020

Apocalyptic dust storms have swept across swathes of drought-hit regions in Australia as extreme weather continues to blight the nation.

Clouds billowed across parts of New South Wales with thick red smog blocking out the sky and smothering towns.

Towns in Dubbo, the country's most populous state, have been hit while cities such as Sydney appear to be at risk.

Drought has been blamed as a factor in the dust storms.

Stephen Cattle, a soil scientist at the University of Sydney, told CNET: "The dust storms affecting central western New South Wales are a direct consequence of two years of drought and greatly diminished vegetative cover on the soil surface."

Meanwhile, massive hail stones smashed car windows on Monday in Canberra, adding to the freak weather throughout the country.

Videos on social media showed residents sledding through streets in t-shirts.

Photos were also shared of people holding tennis ball sized stones.

It comes as wildfires continue to rip through Australia, having killed at least 29 people and an estimated one billion native animals.

The nation's forests are burning at a rate unmatched in modern times as scientists warn its landscape is being permanently changed.

Heat waves and drought have spurred on bigger and more frequent fires, torching some 40,000 square miles.

Areas dried out by drought, such as Eungella National Park, have been ripped apart by flames.

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