UAE issues a red alert against fog covering airports and major roads
Speed limits have been decreased on certain roads in Abu Dhabi as a precautionary measure amid thick fog that enveloped several regions of the UAE on Thursday morning, prompting authorities to issue warning alerts.
Inhabitants woke up to dense fog obscuring the usual cityscape from their vantage points. Images captured from Dubai Hills at 7:31 am on Tuesday and 7:36 am today depict the significant change in visibility.
With diminished visibility on vital thoroughfares, motorists venturing out this morning are urged to exercise heightened caution. The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) issued red alerts due to foggy conditions in segments of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Ras Al Khaimah, while yellow warnings were issued for most parts of the country.
Notable areas affected by the fog include Dubai's Damac Hills 2, where visibility was severely restricted, making it challenging for residents to navigate the roads. Fog descended upon the nation around 12:30 am and is anticipated to persist until 9 am, according to the NCM. It has impacted critical areas such as Sharjah International Airport, Ras Al Khaimah Airport, and Al Maktoum International Airport, causing disruptions to air travel.
Poor visibility was also reported in various neighborhoods, including Dubai's Jebel Ali, Expo City, Al Khawaneej, Dubai-Al Ain Road, and Abu Dhabi's Kizad and Al Dhafra region.
On specific highways within Abu Dhabi, speed limits have been reduced to 80 km/h in an effort to improve road safety. The aforementioned roads connect Maktoum Bin Rashid Street (Kizad Bridge to Ghantoot), Mohammed bin Rashid Kizad Street to Al Samih, Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Al Ain Street to Dubai (Reserve Tunnel to Al Foah), Sweihan Road, and Maktoum Bin Rashid Road from Kizad to Al Ajban.
Once the fog dissipates, the country can anticipate fair to partly cloudy weather throughout the day, with temperatures gradually increasing. However, light fog may reappear on Friday morning, particularly in coastal and inland areas. Winds are expected to be light to moderate, with calm waves in the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
