Al Ain: Early morning fog and mist draped Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and other cities as weather conditions mark the seasonal changes across the Emirates.
People in different major UAE cities on Wednesday faced the first heavy foggy spell that significantly lowered visibility, causing flight diversions at Dubai International Airport and road accidents across emirates in which one person was reportedly killed and dozens of others injured.
Poor visibility forced vehicular traffic to crawl along the streets and highways as motorists were unable to see more than a car length ahead. The conditions gradually improved during the day. Fog had covered everything at around 5am yesterday, according to the eyewitness, and it was difficult to drive on different major roads.
The National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) said visibility was less than 50 metres in Liwa and Madenat Zayed, 100m in Sharjah, 300m in Dubai, and 500m in Abu Dhabi. Similar foggy conditions are expected on Thursday morning and late in the night and for the next few days, said forecasters.
The blanket of thick fog also resulted in the closure of operations at Dubai International Airport at around 6.45am. The control tower diverted some 50 flights to other airports in the region. Operations were restored at 8.30am.
Ahmad Hassan, a meteorologist in Al Ain, said the daytime temperature has been touching 38 to 42 degree Celsius in the emirates, but falls to 10 to 15 degrees at night. This leads to the condensation of air parcels, causing fog and mist. Much of this phenomenon happens in the coastal and interior areas of the UAE. A high level of humidity and calm conditions further contribute to the development of fog, he said.
The national weather bureau and traffic police have warned motorists to take extra precautions during low visibility on roads known for or susceptible to misty and foggy patches to avoid traffic mishaps. “Drivers must take this early warning seriously,” said a forecaster, noting that foggy conditions can start from September to the middle of November in the UAE. “It is quite a normal phenomenon and precautions could save life and limbs of the road users, he added.
The NCMS has also issued a fog alert for the coastal and internal areas. The NCMS said relative humidity will increase in these areas at night and early in the morning that could help in creating misty and foggy conditions.
The centre said sea will on Thursday also be slight to moderately rough with two to four feet high waves offshore. Temperatures are expected to remain between 25 to 42 degree Celsius in the coastal areas, 22c to 45c in the internal and 23c to 34c in the mountainous areas.
