A safety warning has been issued to motorists as parts of Abu Dhabi and Dubai were blanketed by dense fog on Tuesday morning.
Speed limits were cut to 80kph on some routes in the capital as the hazardous conditions greatly reduced visibility on the roads. Hundreds of cars and lorries moved to the hard shoulder on the busy E11 road linking Dubai to Abu Dhabi as traffic was reduced to a crawl.
The National Centre of Meteorology issued an alert over fog in coastal and inland areas of the Emirates, with the move expected to persist until 9am. The weather centre forecasts fog on Wednesday and Thursday in its latest five-day bulletin.
Abu Dhabi Police urged drivers to "exercise caution due to reduced visibility".
"They are urged to follow changing speed limits displayed on electronic information boards. Drive Safely," the force wrote on social media.
Slow down or face fines
Abu Dhabi Police began to enforce the 80kph speed limit during bad weather – such as heavy rain, sandstorms and fog – in April 2019. The activation of temporary speed limits is posted on electronic signs on roads and announced on social media to alert people about to set off on journeys.
The scheme was introduced months after Abu Dhabi's Department of Transport's traffic safety committee agreed on a plan to reduce speeds during poor weather. Motorists who break the 80kph speed limit face fines.
Abu Dhabi Police stress that during bad weather motorists should follow the speed limit posted on electronic road signs. This supersedes any fixed speed limit signs.
Drivers should abide by the revised speed limit until electronic signboards indicate it has been lifted. Police also typically post on social media to confirm when temporary speed limits have been removed.
Fog in the UAE - in pictures
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The UAE was blanketed by dense fog on Monday morning. All pictures by Antonie Robertson / The National -
Motorists in Dubai were urged to drive with caution after fog rolled in on Monday morning -
The Dubai skyline was engulfed by thick fog -
The foggy start to the week came after the Emirates was lashed by heavy rain on Saturday -
Fog reduced visibility to less than a kilometre in some areas of Dubai -
Visibility was greatly reduced across the country -
The UAE woke up to foggy weather -
It was a gloomy start to the day in Dubai -
The UAE has experienced unsettled weather in recent days
