Dust storm leaves Australian town covered in film of orange

'It's a big orange cloud. It's pretty scary actually, it's just like movies'

Authorities said dust storm caused by dry, hot conditions (Queensland Police)

A 124-mile wide storm which swept through the outback has left an Australian town and its residents covered in a film of orange dust.

Roofs were partially ripped off, road signs damages and trees felled as gusts of 60mph swept through Charleville, in southwest Queensland.

Authorities said the dry, hot conditions had allowed strong winds to pick up dirt and spread it across the town, around 460 miles west of Brisbane.

"We do see a fair few dust events through the western parts of Queensland because it is such a dry and hot place, but it's definitely one of the more impressive events of the last few years," said Harry Clark, from Australia's Bureau of Meteorology.

Locals took to social media to share the apocalyptic scenes.

“We heard thunder, so we went outside to make sure the dogs were okay and bring everything inside, and we turned around and there was this big red dust storm coming along — it was pretty thick," Paige Donald, a 21-year-old kangaroo hunter from Charleville, told ABC News. "Our eyes are covered in dust.

She added: "It's a big orange cloud. It's pretty scary actually, it's just like movies.”

Inspector Grant Marcus, Charleville's most senior police officer, told the news channel the storm had been "significant".

He added: "It's been lasting for a considerable amount of time."