• Early morning fog shrouds the Dubai Expo 2020 metro line near Discovery Gardens on Tuesday. Pawan Singh / The National
    Early morning fog shrouds the Dubai Expo 2020 metro line near Discovery Gardens on Tuesday. Pawan Singh / The National
  • A deluge of mist and fog this week followed one of the coldest starts to January in years. Pawan Singh / The National
    A deluge of mist and fog this week followed one of the coldest starts to January in years. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Drivers were urged to be cautious as poor conditions made the roads perilous. Pawan Singh / The National
    Drivers were urged to be cautious as poor conditions made the roads perilous. Pawan Singh / The National
  • An eerie image of Discovery Gardens near Jebel Ali early on Tuesday. Pawan Singh / The National
    An eerie image of Discovery Gardens near Jebel Ali early on Tuesday. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Tuesday's fog lingered for several hours, slowing traffic and leading to length tailbacks
    Tuesday's fog lingered for several hours, slowing traffic and leading to length tailbacks
  • A petrol station shrouded in early morning fog on Tuesday. Pawan Singh / The National
    A petrol station shrouded in early morning fog on Tuesday. Pawan Singh / The National
  • Dense fog greeted morning commuters and residents of Dubai And Abu Dhabi as they headed out to start the day. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Dense fog greeted morning commuters and residents of Dubai And Abu Dhabi as they headed out to start the day. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Visibility was down to a few dozen metres in many areas. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Visibility was down to a few dozen metres in many areas. Antonie Robertson / The National
  • Workers work along the side of the E10 highway in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
    Workers work along the side of the E10 highway in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
  • The fog affected most parts of the country on Tuesday
    The fog affected most parts of the country on Tuesday
  • Police reduced speed limits on many major roads as the bad weather impacted visibility
    Police reduced speed limits on many major roads as the bad weather impacted visibility
  • Fog is a visible aerosol of minuscule water droplets – like a cloud on, or just above, the ground
    Fog is a visible aerosol of minuscule water droplets – like a cloud on, or just above, the ground
  • The blanket stretched all the way from the coast to deep inland, almost reaching the UAE’s borders in the south
    The blanket stretched all the way from the coast to deep inland, almost reaching the UAE’s borders in the south
  • Forecasters issued a red alert as visibility dropped to less than 1,000m, and police warned drivers not to exceed 80kph
    Forecasters issued a red alert as visibility dropped to less than 1,000m, and police warned drivers not to exceed 80kph
  • First introduced in 2019, the variable speed limit system is activated during bouts of bad weather, such as heavy rain, fog or during sandstorms
    First introduced in 2019, the variable speed limit system is activated during bouts of bad weather, such as heavy rain, fog or during sandstorms
  • Anyone driving faster than 80kph when variable speed limits are in force will be fined
    Anyone driving faster than 80kph when variable speed limits are in force will be fined
  • The decision to reduce speed limits made using weather reports, sensors installed on smart gates that estimate the visibility range and reports from police patrols
    The decision to reduce speed limits made using weather reports, sensors installed on smart gates that estimate the visibility range and reports from police patrols
  • The fog season begins in mid-December and runs until the end of March, aided by clear skies and calm conditions
    The fog season begins in mid-December and runs until the end of March, aided by clear skies and calm conditions
  • Dense fog greeted morning commuters and residents of Dubai as they head out to start the day. Antonie Robertson / The National
    Dense fog greeted morning commuters and residents of Dubai as they head out to start the day. Antonie Robertson / The National

UAE forecasters issue fog alert for coming days


Gillian Duncan
  • English
  • Arabic

The UAE is set to be blanketed by fog for the rest of the working week as humidity rises overnight.

The murky weather could affect some coastal and internal areas on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning, said the National Centre of Meteorology.

It will be accompanied by a rise in temperatures, climbing steadily from 24°C on Tuesday to a high of 30°C by Saturday in the capital.

It will be slightly cooler in Dubai, rising to around 29°C on Friday, before falling back to 28°C by Saturday.

The skies will be partly sunny.

The fog season typically begins in mid-December and lasts until the end of March.

Fog needs certain conditions to form, such as calm winds and a clear atmosphere. These are more common at this time of the year as the seasons change.

The water vapour in the air condenses around the dust or sand in the air, which explains why the UAE experiences so many foggy episodes.

The country has averaged 132 days of fog formation a year since records began in 2006, with the longest stretch recorded in 2010, when there were 17 days of fog and five days of mist in January.

About 95 per cent of the fog in the UAE is radiation fog, which forms in the early hours as heat absorbed by the Earth’s surface during the day radiates into the air, causing water droplets to form. It dissipates in the heat of the sun.

Advection fog, the other type, forms when warm, moist air passes over a cool surface, creating water vapour.

Both types of fog can result in extremely dangerous driving conditions.

Police in Abu Dhabi have regularly sent out alerts to motorists in recent weeks warning that speed limits would be cut to 80kph to guard against the hazardous road conditions caused by prolonged bouts of low visibility.

One person died and eight others were injured in a 19-vehicle pile-up in Abu Dhabi during thick fog last month.

In February 2018, a lorry ploughed into a line of traffic in heavy fog. In total, 44 vehicles were involved in the accident on the E311 road between Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

In 2011, one person died and dozens were injured in a crash involving 127 vehicles on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai motorway.

MATCH INFO

Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia on October 10

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreators%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Benioff%2C%20D%20B%20Weiss%2C%20Alexander%20Woo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBenedict%20Wong%2C%20Jess%20Hong%2C%20Jovan%20Adepo%2C%20Eiza%20Gonzalez%2C%20John%20Bradley%2C%20Alex%20Sharp%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The bio

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France

Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines

Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.

Favourite Author: My father for sure

Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst

Scoreline

Abu Dhabi Harlequins 17

Jebel Ali Dragons 20

Harlequins Tries: Kinivilliame, Stevenson; Cons: Stevenson 2; Pen: Stevenson

Dragons Tries: Naisau, Fourie; Cons: Love 2; Pens: Love 2

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

The Greatest Royal Rumble card

50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias

Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match

WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura

Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe

United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal

SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos

Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt

Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev

Singles match John Cena v Triple H

Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto

Rooney's club record

At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17

At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253

One in nine do not have enough to eat

Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.

One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.

The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.

Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.

It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.

On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.

Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.