One person killed and eight injured in 19-vehicle road crash as fog engulfs Abu Dhabi

Police urge motorists to take extra care on the roads during hazardous conditions

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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

One person died and eight others were injured in a 19-vehicle pile-up in Abu Dhabi as heavy fog swept through the capital on Tuesday morning.

Abu Dhabi Police sent out a safety warning to the public after the fatal accident was caused by drivers failing to take account of the hazardous weather.

The force said motorists did not leave adequate distance between other vehicles, leading to the multi-vehicle crash on a road in Al Muqatara, leading to Al Mafraq.

Police said the person who died was from an Asian country, but did not reveal any further details.

Those hurt in the crash, which involved cars and larger vehicles, suffered minor to moderate injuries.

Speed limits were reduced on major roads in Abu Dhabi and Dubai as thick fog descended across almost the entire country during the early hours.

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

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

Police announced speed restrictions had been lifted shortly after 10.30am as the thick shroud of fog started to clear.

Abu Dhabi Police urged drivers to be vigilant during periods of low visibility.

Road users were urged to abide by speed limits and maintain safe distances from other vehicles during challenging driving conditions.

The UAE has been engulfed by fog in recent days during a prolonged spell of cold weather at the start of the year.

Police in Dubai said at least 24 accidents were reported across the fog-hit emirate's roads on Sunday.

Police dealt with two major accidents and 22 minor incidents over a three-hour period from 6am.

Calls to the emergency number increased by 30 per cent compared with the same period a week earlier, when no fog was reported.