Storms have also helped disperse smoke in Melbourne, which has endured hazardous air quality in recent days.

Some of the foot-soldiers looked at me angrily through Ms. Fate's slowly dispersing smoke.

Ralph looked back at the dispersing smoke in the horizon, then up at the mountain.

Then, through the dispersing smoke, a massive upside-down shepherdess-style bonnet appeared, hovering some two stories above the ground and heading toward her.