As a thick blanket of white fog engulfed the highways in several parts of the country, motorists drove their cars at a snail’s pace on Wednesday morning.
Driving turned treacherous, with visibility dropping to as low as 1,000 metres or less in a few areas. Some drivers had their hazard lights on, which is not recommended by experts and authorities.
Expect some traffic and delays on the roads during the morning rush hour today. The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) issued a red warning and cautioned motorists.
At the wee hours of 4:47 am, Abu Dhabi Police sprang into action, issuing a blaring siren alarm to alert motorists about the heavy fog. The police not only advised caution but also implemented a dynamic speed control system, reducing the speed limit to 80 km/h on certain internal and external roads. This was accompanied by a call for motorists to stay vigilant and adhere to the changing speed limits displayed on electronic information boards.
Watch the video below of fog on E311
However, the sun was piercing through the fog, hovering over the tall towers in JVC and around Dubai Cricket Stadium.
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Meanwhile, residents can expect fair conditions overall. However, it will become humid by night and into Thursday morning, with a possibility of fog or mist in some coastal and internal regions.
Winds will be light to moderate, occasionally freshening. The sea will start roughly in the morning towards the west but will calm to moderate or slight in the Arabian Gulf and remain slight in the Oman Sea.
Tremors felt
The Met Department reported ‘slight’ tremors, which was felt by UAE residents, after minor earthquakes hit the Oman Sea on Wednesday.
An earthquake of 3.1 magnitude struck near the coast of Ras Al Khaimah at 12.12am, followed by another quake of 2.8 magnitude at 1.53am. Both the earthquakes occurred at a depth of 10km. As per the met, they did “not have any effect in the UAE”.