Commuters in the UAE said poor visibility meant it took them twice as long to drive to work on Wednesday, with warnings from police to reduce speed, particularly on busy roads.
Heavy fog spread over much of the Emirates in the morning and a red alert was issued for Abu Dhabi for the second day in a row.
Poor visibility on roads followed a warning from the National Centre of Meteorology of dense fog starting at about midnight until 10am on Wednesday.
Visibility was down to a few metres in some areas of the capital, including low-lying Yas Island. The streets were eerily quiet as some commuters put off their drive into work and waited for the fog to clear.
'Completely dense'
Sushant Dalai usually drives for about an hour from Dubai to get to work in Kezad, Abu Dhabi’s industrial centre. He spoke of the challenge driving in on Wednesday.
“It was completely dense, we could not see anything at all. When I leave Dubai at 5am it’s dark anyway, but today the visibility was completely zero,” he told The National.
“We got messages from police to reduce speed and people were careful on the roads. It usually takes 55 minutes to Abu Dhabi but today it took more than two hours.”
He said buses and lorries were pulled off the motorway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi by traffic authorities to ease pressure.
“It often happens during thick fog on the Ghantoot border,” he added. “Heavy trucks and buses are told to park for some time and only cars are allowed on the main roads so it’s safer. The fog was really dense today, much more than normal, so it was good the heavy traffic was off the roads until the fog cleared.”
Abu Dhabi residents said they waited for the visibility to improve before leaving the house.
“We couldn’t see anything at all from our window this morning. It was such thick fog, the most dense I have seen this season,” said Shaily Desai, a Reem Island resident.
“The whole area was foggy and even after sunrise you still couldn’t see much. Even the cars in the car park below were barely visible. Usually the fog clears up by 8.30am but today it was zero visibility for a lot longer.”
Motorists had been urged to slow down on Tuesday after a crash involving several vehicles, including a school bus, at exit 32 of the E11 motorway to Yas Island at about 7am.
On Wednesday, Abu Dhabi Police were positioned beside the main motorway between Dubai and the capital, waving down heavy goods vehicles to pull over and wait for conditions to clear. The speed limit was reduced to 80kph on that road and several others.
Abu Dhabi Airport's live flight status board appeared to show little, if no, disruption as of about 8am.
The forecast for the week suggests fog could persist in coastal areas and islands.
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Al Zeina, Abu Dhabi. Reena Ratan / The National -
Fog blanketed the UAE on Wednesday, seen here in Abu Dhabi. Reena Ratan / The National -
Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island hotel. Reena Ratan / The National -
Remraam, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
The E11 motorway at Al Raha Beach, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
Out for a walk in Remraam, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Yas Island. Reena Ratan / The National -
Etihad Arena. Reena Ratan / The National -
Al Zeina. Reena Ratan / The National -
Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National -
Off to school in Remraam, Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Commuters negotiate the tricky conditions on the E11 motorway in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National
Precautions
Authorities warned motorists against using hazard lights while driving, stressing the practice is dangerous and punishable under UAE traffic law. Experts cautioned that fog often results in deadly pile-ups.
Brig Jumaa bin Suwaidan, director of traffic at Dubai Police, said the force had more patrols on Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Emirates, Sheikh Zayed, Al Khail and the Dubai to Al Ain roads.
Brig bin Suwaidan said the force had temporarily barred lorries from the roads and asked their drivers to stop in designated parking areas. “There is a difference in speed between the trucks and light vehicles, which raises the possibility of accidents in poor visibility.”
Driving safely in fog
Thomas Edelmann, managing director of Road Safety UAE, said people drive too fast when it is foggy. The organisation recommends that drivers slow down in poor visibility and Mr Edelmann said drivers should allow longer for their journey.
“Maybe they're going too fast because their initial planning is not good. It's all about being extra careful, about the time considerations,” he said.
“When we know it will take longer, normally we have to start earlier, we have to plan our trip better, maybe we try to stay off the roads altogether or we wait until the forecast is [for the fog to have] disappeared, or we ask our boss if we can work from home. People have a tendency to run late and they try to catch up on lost time on the roads, and this is especially dangerous in foggy conditions.”
He said that when visibility is good, the safe time from the vehicle in front is two seconds, but when it is poor, drivers should leave at least five seconds.
“It goes without saying, no hazard lights. Hazard lights are only for stationary vehicles, not for vehicles that are moving,” Mr Edelmann said.
In bad weather, Road Safety UAE recommends drivers use low-beam headlights and front and rear fog lights.
If visibility is almost zero, the organisation advises drivers to park on the side of the road and put their hazard lights on, or wait at a petrol station or rest area.
Is fog more common now?
Research at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi indicates that periods of fog lasting for several days in the UAE have become more common, although the severity may be decreasing.
As previously reported, the scientists believe fog is more regular partly because a warmer atmosphere holds more water vapour.
“Long-term studies show that since the 1980s, fog events have been happening more frequently and are lasting longer,” said Dr Diana Francis, an assistant professor and head of the Environmental and Geophysical Sciences (Engeos) Laboratory at the university.
“In our research we identified that this is linked to climate change, which is making the lower atmosphere warmer and more humid.”
This extra moisture, along with weather patterns that bring calm winds and stable conditions, means that fog forms more easily and persists for longer, Dr Francis said.
“Moist air flowing inland from the Arabian Gulf and strong night-time cooling over desert land also play a key role,” she added.
Research has also found, however, that increased urbanisation means less dust is whipped up into the air, so fog is sometimes not as dense.
