Dubai: A thick haze shrouded the Dubai skyline on Sunday morning with horizontal visibility impacted as winds kicked up dust. Forecasters said the dusty conditions are likely to linger for some days.
Light to moderate winds with speeds of 10km/h to 25km/h and occasional gusts of 36km/h kicked up dust in exposed areas, mostly in areas stretching westward and southward in Dubai, with the haze especially apparent in interior areas.
Visibility dropped to less than 2,000 metres due to suspended dust particles in the air.
Haze and dust storms are common in the UAE during seasonal transitions, in this case with winter turning to spring.
Exposed areas will continue to experience dusty conditions with light to moderate winds predicted on Monday and Tuesday. But the weather in general is expected to be fair or partly cloudy in general on Monday and partly cloudy in general and hazy at times on Tuesday.
Temperatures are likely to decrease slightly by 1C to 3C from Sunday to Tuesday with Abu Dhabi’s expected maximum temperature dropping from 37C on Sunday to 34C on Tuesday.
Dubai’s maximum temperature could drop by two degrees from Sunday to Tuesday. The minimum temperatures could also drop by one degree.
Humidity levels will increase however by Tuesday, rising from 55 per cent in Dubai to 85 per cent. Similar conditions are expected over the coastal cities.
Conditions at sea are expected to be moderate on Monday but the Arabian Gulf could experience rough weather by afternoon on Tuesday.
