The unusual phenomenon that turned Australian skies blood red | The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThe Conversation Original report by Steve TurtonTuesday 31 March 2026 13:31 BSTAustralia skies turn blood orange ahead of cycloneApocalyptic red skies in Western Australia were caused by Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle, which whipped up crimson dust.This unusual phenomenon occurred due to a rare combination of specific environmental conditions in the region.Key factors included the very dry, exposed landscape with iron-rich red soils, a lack of preceding rain, and strong cyclonic winds blowing from a particular direction.Northwest Australia is one of the few places globally where tropical cyclones impact an arid desert climate, making its fragile, iron-rich soils susceptible to such events.The deep red appearance was intensified by the high concentration of iron oxide-rich dust particles scattering light, creating a vivid, short-lived 'Mars-like' sky before being washed away by the cyclone's rain.In fullAustralian skies turned blood red. A weather expert explains howThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in