Theodora Chapman The rare weather phenomenon, which whipped iron-rich soil into the atmosphere creating an eerie red glow across Western Australia, forced the shutdown of two major liquefied natural gas plants and caused widespread damage as global energy markets remained on edge.
By Theodora Chapman
Wildlife Conservation and Environmental Writer
Zealandia News
March 31, 2026 — SYDNEY
Skies across Western Australia turned a terrifying blood-red over the weekend as Tropical Cyclone Narelle barrelled toward the coast, creating apocalyptic scenes that drew comparisons to disaster films. The unsettling phenomenon, which occurred on Friday, March 27, was caused by the storm whipping iron-rich soil from the ground into the atmosphere — a rare effect known as “mie scattering,” which happens when sunlight hits large numbers of microscopic particles that match the wavelength of red light .
The cyclone made landfall in far north Queensland before crossing the Northern Territory and striking Western Australia, an unusual trajectory that allowed the storm to maintain its intensity across multiple jurisdictions. As Narelle approached the coast, residents reported the sky turning progressively darker shades of red, with photographs circulating widely across social media showing the eerie transformation of the daytime sky into something resembling the surface of Mars .
LNG Production Halted Amid Global Energy Uncertainty
The storm’s impact extended far beyond the visual spectacle. Production at Australia’s two biggest liquefied natural gas plants, operated by Chevron and Woodside, had to be halted as Narelle swept through the region . The shutdown added additional pressure to world energy supplies already disrupted by the escalating conflict in West Asia, where the United States has deployed 57,000 troops amid rising tensions with Iran .
Analysts noted that the timing of the production halt could not have been more problematic. With energy markets already pricing in a significant risk premium due to geopolitical tensions, any disruption to Australian LNG supplies — which account for a substantial portion of global seaborne LNG trade — risks further tightening supply and pushing prices higher.
The two facilities affected are critical nodes in Australia’s LNG export network. Chevron’s Gorgon and Wheatstone projects and Woodside’s North West Shelf facility collectively represent a significant portion of the country’s LNG export capacity. Production suspensions, even for relatively short durations, can have ripple effects across global supply chains, particularly in Asian markets that rely heavily on Australian gas.
Widespread Damage and Recovery Efforts
On the ground, the cyclone caused extensive damage across Western Australia. Roofs were torn off buildings in Exmouth, a coastal town of approximately 3,000 people that serves as a gateway to the Ningaloo Reef World Heritage area. The storm also devastated agricultural operations, destroying 80 per cent of a banana crop in Carnarvon, a region known for its tropical fruit production .
Western Australia Premier Roger Cook declared one-off payments of up to $4,000 for residents whose homes were destroyed, as cleanup efforts began over the weekend. Emergency services personnel worked through the aftermath, assessing damage, restoring power where possible, and assisting displaced residents .
By Saturday, March 26, Narelle had downgraded to a subtropical system, though the Bureau of Meteorology warned that heavy rainfall and damaging winds could persist in some areas. The storm’s rapid intensification prior to landfall had caught some communities off guard, prompting questions about preparedness for what some meteorologists described as an unusual late-season cyclone.
A Rare Meteorological Phenomenon
The blood-red skies that accompanied the cyclone captured the attention of meteorologists and photographers alike. The “mie scattering” effect that produced the phenomenon occurs when particles in the atmosphere — in this case, iron-rich dust picked up by the storm — are of a size that selectively scatters red wavelengths of light.
Similar effects have been observed in other parts of the world following major dust storms or volcanic eruptions, but the combination of a tropical cyclone and iron-rich soil from Australia’s vast interior created particularly striking conditions. The phenomenon was most intense as the storm approached the coast, with the red glow intensifying as the sun’s rays passed through the dust-laden atmosphere at low angles.
Environmental Context
The storm’s trajectory across three jurisdictions — Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia — is unusual for a cyclone system. Most tropical cyclones in the Australian region form off the northwest coast and move westward, or form in the Coral Sea and move toward Queensland. Narelle’s path across the continent’s northern region before turning south into Western Australia meant the storm spent more time over land than is typical, though it retained sufficient intensity to cause significant damage.
Climate scientists have noted that warming ocean temperatures are contributing to changes in tropical cyclone behaviour, though attributing any single storm to climate change requires careful analysis. What is clear is that the 2025–26 cyclone season has been characterised by unusual patterns, with systems forming and tracking in ways that deviate from historical norms.
Economic Implications
The shutdown of LNG production comes at a particularly sensitive moment for global energy markets. The West Asia crisis has already injected significant volatility into oil and gas prices, with Brent crude trading at elevated levels as markets price in the risk of supply disruptions from the Strait of Hormuz.
Australian LNG is a critical component of energy security for major importers including Japan, South Korea, China, and Taiwan. Any sustained disruption to output would force these economies to compete for alternative supplies on an already tight global market, likely driving prices higher. While the production halt is expected to be temporary, the timing has underscored the vulnerability of global energy infrastructure to extreme weather events.
In Brief
Tropical Cyclone Narelle has left a trail of damage across Western Australia, destroyed a significant portion of the region’s banana crop, and forced the shutdown of two major LNG facilities at a time when global energy markets are already under pressure from geopolitical tensions. The storm’s unusual trajectory and the eerie blood-red skies it produced have drawn attention to the complex interplay between extreme weather, energy infrastructure, and global supply chains.
As Western Australia begins its recovery and Chevron and Woodside work to restore production, the event serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in concentrated energy infrastructure and the cascading effects that regional weather events can have on global markets. For residents of Exmouth and Carnarvon, the immediate focus remains on rebuilding. For energy analysts, the storm has added another layer of complexity to an already volatile supply picture.
