Weather to clear up tomorrow

Dusty and chilly winds continued for the third consecutive day in the country on Tuesday and they were compounded by fog, reducing visibility in the morning. Satellites pictures taken by the National Center for Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) have indicated that cold winds will propel fog formation in Al Mazaira region today morning and it would move towards the southern parts of the country later. Motorists have been urged to be extra cautious today morning in view of the expected poor visibility. The NCMS said the unstable weather conditions in the country are expected to start settling down from tomorrow. The maximum temperature in the internal parts of the country dropped to 28 degree Celsius from 35 degree Celsius experienced till a few days back, while the minimum temperature was 9 degree Celsius. The temperatures are expected to remain the same today and will increase by tomorrow, the centre said. The centre urged people who suffer from respiratory problems to not get exposed to dust, which could trigger ailments. It also cautioned beachgoers and seafarers of very rough conditions in the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman today. Winds blew at moderate speed on Tuesday but suspended heavy dust and sand reduced visibility significantly, particularly on external roads where motorists had to move slowly. According to motorists in the Capital, the Capital Gate on Khaleej Al Arabi Road, the landmark leaning tower of Abu Dhabi, was hardly visible from 300 metres. The visibility on this road dipped to 500-600 metres. The southeasterly wind blew at a speed of 16-32km per hour in general, reaching 40km per hour at times over the offshore of the Northern Emirates. Most of the residents in the Capital remained indoors and covered areas to protect themselves from dust. The centre advised motorists to be more cautious while driving due to the poor horizontal visibility owing to the dust and sand in most areas of the country where the visibility could dip between 1,000 metres and 3,000 metres. According to the centre, the poor weather condition prevailing in the country was due to two major storms which hit the region. The first storm was widespread across the Arabian Peninsula but lost its intensity on its way to the UAE.The second storm, causing low pressure, moved eastward, reaching over southeastern Iran and kicking up dust and sand that engulfed the northern region of the UAE, parts of Oman, and the western coastal areas of Pakistan up to Karachi and the central city of Sukkur.