SYDNEY - A vast dust storm moving across Australia has shrouded Sydney in a dense haze, sparking health alerts and underscoring the growing impact of climate extremes nationwide.

New South Wales (NSW) Health on Tuesday issued alerts for very poor air quality in some areas, as the haze, driven by drought and strong winds in South Australia, settles over NSW.

Experts said the event is a stark reminder of Australia's vulnerability to shifting weather patterns and land degradation.

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According to Milton Speer, visiting fellow at the University of Technology Sydney, long-term atmospheric changes are contributing to both droughts in southern Australia and heavy rains along the east coast.

Prof. Paul Beggs from Macquarie University said this kind of extreme event reflects long-term climate trends. Research shows that from 2014 to 2023, much of Australia experienced more severe droughts than in the 1950s, which has had significant effects on both physical and mental health.

John Grant, a soils expert at Southern Cross University, warned of the long-term damage. The dust storm originated in drought-hit areas of western Victoria and South Australia, where dry, bare soils are vulnerable to erosion.

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Wind erosion strips away the most fertile part of the soil. This not only reduces productivity but also makes the land more likely to erode again, Grant said.

"The problem snowballs (so to speak). The effects of climate change are only exacerbating this process," he said, adding that such storms can transport millions of tonnes of topsoil, with devastating impacts on farming, native ecosystems, and human health.