Dubai: Authorities on Wednesday alerted motorists to drive with caution during foggy weather, as roads in Dubai faced heavy traffic snarls and accidents.
Dubai Police reported two accidents that affected traffic flow near Jumeirah Village Triangle; one at City Centre Me'aisem and the other on Al Khail Road.
Motorists were also advised to drive with caution as road visibility dropped to less than 500 metres.
#TrafficUpdate
— Dubai Policeشرطة دبي (@DubaiPoliceHQ) December 27, 2017
Traffic jam due to Two #accidents, first on Al Fai rd in front of City Centre Me'aisem, other Accident on Al Khail rd, please be extra cautious.
In foggy weather, be patient while driving, and avoid overtaking and lane-changing. Your #Safety is our priority pic.twitter.com/8hekOTEkpQ
— RTA (@RTA_Dubai) December 27, 2017
In its daily weather forecast, the National Centre of Meteorology (MCM) warned of fog formation and poor visibility on Wednesday from 4am to 11am, which affected internal and coastal areas of the UAE.
— المركز الوطني للأرصاد (@NCMS_media) December 27, 2017
Fog was reported in Al Shawamekh, Al Wathbah, Al Ain airport, Al Dhafrah, Qsyoura and Ras Al Khaimah airport.
— المركز الوطني للأرصاد (@NCMS_media) December 27, 2017
— المركز الوطني للأرصاد (@NCMS_media) December 27, 2017
Motorists heading from Sharjah to Dubai also found themselves in the crawling morning rush-hour, which was further aggravated by the foggy weather.
The main routes heavily affected by traffic jams included Maleha Road, Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road and Al Ittihad Road.
The weather is expected to remain hazy during the day, according to the NCM, with relative humidity increasing at night and into the early morning, especially over coastal areas.
الإمارات : يستمر تشكل الضباب فجر غدا الأربعاء بشكل متفرق على بعض مناطق الدولة والله أعلم #مركز_العاصفة pic.twitter.com/vF2O0vBE2W
— مركز العاصفة (@Storm_centre) December 26, 2017
A map illustrates how fog affected various parts of the UAE on Wednesday at 6am. Source: UAE Storm Centre