Australia Weather News
The ESA advised motorists to be on the lookout for fallen trees and branches. - ABC
High winds caused more than 1,000 homes in Canberra to lose power and whipped a dusty haze over the city yesterday.
Gusts of up to 82 kilometres per hour were recorded, with powerlines brought down and trees uprooted.
EvoEnergy said 1,100 homes had lost power and listed 18 suburbs across the territory that had outages.
ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) said they had received more than 50 requests for assistance across the day, mostly for trees that had been blown down.
Despite a total fire ban in place on Sunday, the ESA eased some people's fears that the dust may have been smoke from a fire.
"While Canberrans may be concerned about the dust, at this time ACT Health report that the particles are high up in the atmosphere and that the air quality at ground level is good," it said.
"People with respiratory illnesses who are concerned can take the precaution of avoiding strenuous activity and staying indoors with doors and windows closed."
The dust was being blown in by wind from the north-west, which was also fanning a bushfire in Namadgi National Park.
ABC