Dense fog in Dubai leads to traffic gridlocks during rush hour

The UAE’s official weather forecaster, the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), has issued a warning as dense fog has led to visibility falling to near zero in various parts of the country this morning.

Emirates 24|7 readers have been reporting traffic congestions on various routes, most notably the Sheikh Zayed Road going from Dubai towards Abu Dhabi, as a result of the dense blanket of fog as well as numerous accidents that have resulted due to commuters not slowing down or taking enough safety precautions.

Drivers are being advised to remain extra cautious on the roads, and avoid driving altogether if possible until the fog burns out in due time.

Traffic has been generally slow moving this morning, with traffic snarls reported at various places in Dubai and parts of Sharjah, as well as on the way to Abu Dhabi. Readers have called in to report congestion on Shaikh Zayed Road, Al Barsha, Emirates Hills area, Ras Al Khor Road, Al Meydan Road, Al Wasl Road and Al Safa Road.

Dubai residents wake up to yet another foggy morning even as there is zero visibility on most of Dubai roads. The Met office expects visibility to remain low until mid-morning.

The NCMS forecasts fog not only for the early morning, but for the evening and night across the UAE. The foggy conditions are likely to stay for the rest of the week.

With visibility having been reduced to a few metres in some areas, motorists are advised to take necessary precautions.

Dense fog early today morning is likely to slow down traffic during the morning rush hour as people try to get to work on time.

Meanwhile, the weatherman forecasts relatively hot weather over the internal areas during daytime, becoming mild over internal and mountainous areas during night.

Some clouds will appear over some eastern areas. Light to moderate winds in general. Sea will be slight to moderate.

The relative humidity will increase over some costal and internal areas, especially the western during night and early morning.

EARLIER ON TUESDAY: 

Weatherman at the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS), UAE’s official weather forecaster, did reckon that clouds would appear over some areas and that there was an increased chance of mist on the morning.

But will it rain?

The NCMS forecast for the day suggests that temperatures are set to fall to 17°C in the country’s internal areas while they would peak at up to 42°C during the daytime. The mountainous regions will see temperatures dipping to 18°C while it could go up to 32°C on the higher side. In addition, coastal areas will see mercury dip to 22°C at its best while maximum temperatures are set to reach high 30s.

Dubai residents woke up to a foggy morning on Tuesday, which is a sure sign of change of season. Some areas of Dubai were blanketed by fog, which raised the spectre of traffic jams and early morning crawls. However, up until 9am, there weren’t any major news of accidents or traffic snarls, except at the usual hold-up areas.

The NCMS weather bulletin for the day reads: “Relatively hot weather over the internal areas during the daytime, becoming mild to fine weather over some internal and mountainous areas during night. Some clouds will appear over some western areas. Light to moderate winds in general. Sea will be slight to moderate. The relative humidity will increase over some western coastal areas during night and early morning with a chance of mist.”

But will it rain? We asked the NCMS weatherman and got a negative reply. “Rain – not really… There are chances of clouds, but these aren’t rain clouds,” he said, pouring cold water over our hopes for a downpour.

Even as temperatures across the Emirates continue to drop marginally, the weather is slowly but surely taking a turn and the winter season is not too far away.

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