Sydneysiders woke up to a red haze across the city on Wednesday after a dust storm swept across New South Wales due to hot and dry conditions. The east coast was struck by a heatwave on Tuesday with the mercury hitting 38C in Sydney. There were winds of up to 90km/h which caused dust storms in western NSW where the ground is dry after a period of drought. The dust then blew eastwards, engulfing Canberra on Tuesday evening and reaching Sydney overnight. Dust bomb: Sydneysiders woke up to a red haze across the city on Wednesday after a dust storm swept across New South Wales due to hot and dry conditions The east coast was struck by a heatwave on Tuesday with the mercury hitting 38C in Sydney. Pictured: Dust on Wednesday after the heatwave The dust (pictured over Sydney on Wednesday) blew eastwards, engulfing Canberra on Tuesday evening and reaching Sydney overnight There were winds of up to 90km/h on Tuesday which caused dust storms in western NSW where the ground is dry after a period of drought. Pictured: Dust over Sydney on Wednesday Explaining the phenomenon, Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Rebecca Farr told Daily Mail Australia: 'Strong and gusty winds lifted large areas of dust and it was transported by wind to the east. 'The dust is mostly aloft which means it is held in higher air. 'Because it is aloft and quite dispersed it means there is only a slight haze which will gradually clear as the day goes on.' Sydney is much cooler today with a maximum temperature of 26C. But fire warnings remain in place in the far north of the state where temperatures will reach 40C. Officers are fighting 43 fires across the north and west of the state. The heatwave is continuing on the east coast of Queensland with the mercury hitting 36C in Brisbane. The dust blew eastwards, engulfing Canberra (pictured) on Tuesday evening and reaching Sydney overnight A dust storm blankets Old Parliament House and Mt Ainslie on February 12, 2019 in Canberra The fire warnings remain in place in the far north of the state where temperatures will reach 40C. Pictured: Canberra in the dust Dust storm precautions Avoid outdoor activity. If you must go outside, spend as little time outside as possible. Cover your nose and mouth with a mask or damp cloth to reduce exposure to dust particles. Avoid vigorous exercise, especially if you have asthma, diabetes or a breathing-related condition. S tay indoors, with windows and doors closed. Stay in air-conditioned premises, if possible. Source: NSW Health Perth will be 33C and sunny with a possible shower in the evening while Adelaide will be 22C and partly cloudy. Hobart will be 18C with some showers, Canberra will be 24C and Darwin, as usual, will be 33C. Down south it's cooler with Melbourne reaching a maximum temperature of 19C on Wednesday. Meanwhile, there is more relief for families in flood-ravaged Townsville as the rains remain at bay for another day, with temperatures of 35C. Receding floodwaters following Queensland's once-in-a-century monsoonal deluge have left authorities racing to dispose of hundreds of thousands of dead animals that are posing a health risk. Cattle, sheep and wildlife perished in the unprecedented two-week rains, which left large swathes of the state under water. The NSW Rural Fire Service has implemented fire bans in the far north of the state. Pictured: Bondi Beach Down south it's cooler with Melbourne reaching a maximum temperature of 19C on Wednesday. Pictured: Melbourne Their putrefying carcasses pose a health risk to clean up crews and to local water supplies in flooded communities. The growing hazard comes as Townsville health authorities warn residents to take precautions when cleaning flood-affected buildings. One person has died and 10 people have been infected by melioidosis, which stems from floodwaters that are heavily contaminated with dirt and bacteria. Max temperatures on Wednesday Sydney 26C Melbourne 19C Brisbane 36C Perth 33C Aledaide 22C Hobart 18C Canberra 24C Darwin 33C It's the third flood-related fatality, following the deaths of two Palm Island men who died at the peak of the floods in Townsville eight days ago. Farther south, police are still searching for a 35-year-old man who disappeared in floodwaters at Groper Creek on Friday. In rural communities, exhausted graziers are becoming increasingly concerned about the floods' likely financial impact, which is expected to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Prime Minister Scott Morrison told parliament on Tuesday he would ensure a recovery and restoration plan would restore north Queensland cattle farmers to the prosperity. The flood crisis was also discussed in the first sitting of Queensland's parliament on Tuesday. The opposition grilled Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk about a decision to open floodgates of the Ross River Dam at the peak of the floods, which inundated many houses. Ms Palaszczuk said the dam belonged to the Townsville Shire Council and it had acted on advice from various government agencies. Meanwhile, the mopping up in Townsville continues. Officials have deemed 2950 homes damaged of the 8000 assessed, as an appeal to raise funds for people affected climbed to $3.6 million. As of Tuesday, insurers had received 14,600 claims from people in Townsville with losses estimated at $175 million. Farmers across flood-ravaged Queensland could be left millions of dollars out of pocket as receding waters leave behind destroyed crops, livestock (pictured) and livelihoods All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility