UAE weather: Abu Dhabi Police cut speed limits again as fog envelops the capital

The emirate was shrouded in thick fog once more, prompting safety measures

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  Early morning fog shrouds the Dubai Expo 2020 metro line near Discovery Gardens on Tuesday. Pawan Singh / The National

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  A deluge of mist and fog this week followed one of the coldest starts to January in years. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Drivers were urged to be cautious as poor conditions made the roads perilous. Pawan Singh / The National

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  An eerie image of Discovery Gardens near Jebel Ali early on Tuesday. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Tuesday's fog lingered for several hours, slowing traffic and leading to length tailbacks

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  A petrol station shrouded in early morning fog on Tuesday. Pawan Singh / The National

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  Dense fog greeted morning commuters and residents of Dubai And Abu Dhabi as they headed out to start the day. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Visibility was down to a few dozen metres in many areas. Antonie Robertson / The National

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  Workers work along the side of the E10 highway in Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

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  The fog affected most parts of the country on Tuesday

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  Police reduced speed limits on many major roads as the bad weather impacted visibility

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  Fog is a visible aerosol of minuscule water droplets – like a cloud on, or just above, the ground

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  The blanket stretched all the way from the coast to deep inland, almost reaching the UAE’s borders in the south

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  Forecasters issued a red alert as visibility dropped to less than 1,000m, and police warned drivers not to exceed 80kph

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  First introduced in 2019, the variable speed limit system is activated during bouts of bad weather, such as heavy rain, fog or during sandstorms

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  Anyone driving faster than 80kph when variable speed limits are in force will be fined

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  The decision to reduce speed limits made using weather reports, sensors installed on smart gates that estimate the visibility range and reports from police patrols

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  The fog season begins in mid-December and runs until the end of March, aided by clear skies and calm conditions

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  Dense fog greeted morning commuters and residents of Dubai as they head out to start the day. Antonie Robertson / The National

Police reduced speed limits on major roads on Wednesday after the return of dense fog for a fourth morning this week.

A large part of the country, stretching from the coast to the southern border, was affected by the murky weather.

The National Centre of Meteorology issued a red alert as visibility dropped to less than 1,000 metres.

Speed limits were reduced to 80kph on several motorways between Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

Anyone caught exceeding the lower limit will be fined.

The fog is expected to clear by 10am, leaving a partly sunny day.

Temperatures could reach up to 27°C on the coast and 28°C inland.

Conditions will be slight to moderate in the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.

Humidity will increase in the evening and overnight, raising the risk of fog again early on Thursday.

The end of the working week will be dusty and partly cloudy at times with a drop in temperatures, which will be most noticeable on Friday.

Dusty conditions will persist at the weekend, when the sea will be very rough at times.