Widespread sandstorms causing poor visibility across the UAE

Traffic was slow across many parts of the country

Sandstorms whip the UAE

Sandstorms whip the UAE
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Widespread sandstorms are causing poor visibility this morning as moderate winds kick up dust across the country.

The National Center for Meteorology has warned that visibility will drop to less than 2,000 metres at times due to sand being blown across most coastal, internal and offshore areas until around 2pm on Sunday.

Temperatures are continuing to climb, reaching a maximum of 43°C on the coast, 47°C inland and 39°C in the mountains. Winds will be strong, with gusts of up to 50km/h on the coast, 45km/h inland and 42km/h in the mountains. And humidity will be high, reaching up to 70 per cent on the coast, 55 per cent inland and 55 per cent in the mountains, according to forecasters.

The dusty weather is expected to continue over the coming days, with moderate winds and moderate to rough seas.

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In Abu Dhabi, traffic was at a standstill on Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street near the ADNOC fuel station, heading into the city, and it remains slow for a significant stretch of the road, right the way up to Zayed Sports City.

Traffic was also slow on Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street near the Eastern Mangroves hotel, travelling into the city.

And there were multiple traffic jams in Sharjah and Dubai, with long tailbacks on the E311 Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, from the Rifa’a area of Sharjah all the way to Dubai International Airport.

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The bad weather in Discovery Gardens, Dubai. Leslie Pableo for The National

Traffic was also very slow for large stretches of road in Sharjah on Al Khan Street, Al Nahda Street, the Sharjah Ring Road, Second Industrial Street and Al Ittihad Street – where the tailbacks continued into Dubai.

Elsewhere in Dubai, there were tailbacks on Al Khail Street, from Dubai Creek to near Arabian Park Hotel, on Hessa Street past Jebel Ali Race Course, and on Al Yalayis Street in Jebel Ali. An accident on Al Khail Road near Dubai Hills Mall, led to standstill traffic.

And drivers reported an object on the road at Sheikh Zayed Road near Jebel Ali, which significantly slowed traffic.