Two giant dust storms hit a major gold mine in Australia's Tanami desert two days in a row. Lachlan Marchant and his team saw huge orange clouds rolling like Uluru towards them. "It was just rolling at us," Marchant says. The storms covered the horizon and brought gritty winds that hurt their eyes and teeth. Thunder and lightning made everyone go inside, and muddy rain followed. Experts say dust storms form when strong winds lift dry earth, common in dry places like the outback. Dr John Grant from Southern Cross University explains these storms happen almost monthly in low rainfall areas. A cold front caused this recent storm, and temperatures fell from 40°C to below 30°C afterward. Dust storms are dangerous for health, causing more asthma attacks. They also damage soil by stripping away nutrients, hurting ecosystems. Droughts increase dust storm chances. In May, a storm from South Australia reached New South Wales. The east coast rarely sees such storms. Grant warns with global warming and more drought, dust storms may rise. "They’re quite an amazing phenomena but... it’s emotive to see that loss of important parts of the soil," he says. Losing soil harms ecosystems and species, so protecting soil is vital.