Fog engulfs parts of UAE, motorists urged to remain cautious

Emadueddin Khalil, Staff Reporter

Intermittent fog covered different areas of the UAE in the early hours of Friday. The fog lasted for 11 hours, causing a decrease in the visibility to the lowest levels.

The occourance was a result of the country being affected by an extension of a shallow air pressure over most areas of the country, associated with a ridge of upper air high pressure.

Fog began to form at 12:16am on Friday in different areas of the country, including Suwaihan in Al Ain, Al Fayah in Abu Dhabi, Madinat Zayed, Ghayathi and Liwa in Al Dhafra region, Al Ain - Abu Dhabi road, Al Ain - Dubai road, Al Maktoum International Airport, Ghantoot “Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid” road, Abu Dhabi - Al Hayer Road, Jebel Ali, Al Minhad Saih Al Salam in Dubai, Meileha road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed road, and Emirates road in Sharjah. It cleared gradually after 9:30 am, on some central and western interior areas of the country and some northern part, according to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM).

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The NCM has warned of the formation of fog and lack of visibility, appealing to motorists to exercise precautions to preserve the public safety.

The Abu Dhabi Police have also called on drivers to adhere to the variable speed shown on the signs and electronic panels.

The NCM indicated that weather on Saturday is expected to be fair to partly cloudy in general. There will be humid by night and Sunday morning, with fog and mist formation over most areas of the country. There will be light to moderate southwesterly to northwesterly winds, with a speed of 15–25, reaching 35km/hr. The sea will be light to moderate in the Arabian Gulf and in Oman Sea.

On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, weather is expected to be fair to partly cloudy, becoming cloudy by night and Monday morning over the sea, islands and some coastal, northern and eastern areas, with a chance of rainfall, the NCM added.

“Light to moderate southwesterly winds, becoming fresh northwesterly by night over the sea causing blowing dust and sand over the exposed areas, with a speed of 20–30, reaching 40km/hr over the sea,” NCM said

The sea will be moderate becoming rough by late night in the Arabian Gulf and slight to moderate in Oman Sea.