Police issue warning as fog engulfs parts of UAE

Low visibility triggers reduction in speed limits on several major roads

Early morning fog on an Abu Dhabi road. Victor Besa / The National

The weekend got off to a cold start as the UAE woke up to thick patches of fog covering areas along the coast and inland regions.

Police warned drivers on Friday not to exceed 80 kilometres per hour and reduced the speed limit on major roads owing to dense fog.

The speed reduction came into force on several routes including parts of the E11 route between Abu Dhabi and Dhabi and the Dubai-Al Ain road.

“Urgent warning fog speed reduction system activated to 80 km/h on Al Ain-Dubai road,” Abu Dhabi Police tweeted.

Motorists were warned to be cautious while driving because of the low visibility.

In some areas, visibility dropped to less than a kilometre in Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain and the outskirts.

The temperature in some areas of the UAE reached chilly, single digits according to the latest weather update from The National Centre of Meteorology.

“The lowest temperature recorded over the country was 4.5°C in Barakah,” the centre posted on Twitter.

“Fog formation with deterioration of horizontal visibility over some internal areas.”

The meteorology centre issued several fog alerts but said it was expected to clear later on Friday.

Hazy weather conditions and low  temperatures will continue on Saturday. The temperatures were expected to rise later in the afternoon.