It’s been a battle of the elements so far at this year's Burning Man festival.
Festival-goers have had to endure a dust storm, extreme heat, 80 km per hour winds, and thunder. More wild weather is expected with the possibility of heavy rain and flooding in the coming days.
On the first day of the festival, temperatures soared to 37 degrees, with humidity levels sitting at 57% for parts of Nevada.
A massive dust storm, described as a “wall of dust’ ripped through the event, wreaking havoc in campsites and causing major travel delays around the festival.
Four minor injuries were reported as a result of the wind and dust.
Videos of the wild weather and chaos have gone viral on social media, including a video posted to Instagram, which gained 17 million views, showing “crazy winds” ripping through a campsite.
Burning Man takes place annually in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. The festival is a week-long and focuses on “community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance.” It features no specific lineup or headliners, but instead focuses on the attendees' own art, activities, and events. Around 70,000 people are expected.
A little later than usual, the official Burning Man live stream launched on their website, giving the public a front-row seat to all of the festival’s art, community, and chaos from home.
This is just the latest in a string of bad luck for festival organisers this year, after a fire tore through the Tomorrowland mainstage just days before opening in July.
The festival was saved by heavy metal band Metallica, who airlifted stage parts from their world tour stored in Austria.
