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Sandstorm in Dubai Image Credit: Arshad Ali/Gulf News

UAE residents have been warned to be extra careful as winds kicked up dust and sand, and poor visibility affected some parts of the country on Thursday.

Today’s winds have been forecast to gust up to 40 kilometres per hour (kph).

In an advisory on Twitter, the Abu Dhabi Police said that with “medium-to-strong” winds and dusts blowing in exterior roads, motorists should ensure they don’t stop or park under trees and billboards, or go near construction sites.

The UAE’s weather bureau also reported fresh winds with blowing dust/ sand and poor visibility over the country’s capital, including Abu Dhabi International Airport, Al Minhad and Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai and Sharjah airport.

“Fresh northwesterly winds [are] causing blowing dust with poor visibility less than 200 metres at times,” the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology said at past 1pm.

On Friday and Saturday, the northwesterly winds will average between 18 kilometres and 28 kilometres per hour, with peak gusts up to 38 kilometres per hour.

The first day of the weekend will also be hazy and partly cloudy at times during daytime. Temperatures are expected to rise gradually, although some clouds will appear over the eastern areas by afternoon.

Saturday will also be partly cloudy and see another rise in temperatures, with the amount of clouds expected to increase over some areas and become convective over the mountains by afternoon.