Driver dies in RAK crash as fog disrupts roads and flights
A thick blanket of fog caused disruption on Thursday with flights diverted and road crashes reported as drivers became caught up in lengthy tailbacks.
Forecasters said visibility fell to about 200 metres as the fog settled during the early hours.
A National Centre for Meteorology map showed the chance of hazardous weather affecting large parts of the country, from Ras Al Khaimah on the north coast, all the way down to Abu Al Abyad, an island in Abu Dhabi emirate.
Four incoming flights to Sharjah International Airport had to land in Fujairah between 5.30am and 6.20am on Thursday. The Air Arabia flights were from Tbilisi, Faisalabad, Prague and Cairo.
Fujairah International Airport said flights were diverted from some of the country’s other airports because of the fog.
Three flights – from Kiev, Riyadh and London – to Dubai International Airport were diverted to Muscat in Oman, Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and Al Maktoum International Airport, in Dubai.
The Flightradar24 website estimated that 92 per cent of flights to Dubai International Airport faced delays of about 45 minutes on Thursday morning.
In Abu Dhabi, police advised drivers to be cautious and not to take videos of the weather.
There were several accidents on the E11 Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Road near Ghantoot.
In Ras Al Khaimah, a driver died when his car ploughed into the back of a lorry. The 38-yearold Emirati died at about 6.15am on the Emirates Road roundabout.
According to the Waze traffic app, there were at least three crashes, which caused long tailbacks and slowed traffic to less than 30kph.
One of the accidents on the busy route involved 11 vehicles.
Drivers in Sharjah faced heavy congestion caused by the poor visibility. One motorist said his 20-minute commute took more than four times as long because of the foggy weather.
“It was horrible – my drive to drop off my son at school in Sharjah’s Al Khan area took 90 minutes today,” said Egyptian Khalid Nofal.
Temperatures are expected to fall on Friday, and there will be a chance of rain of “different intensities”, forecasters said.
Winds will be strong at times, reaching 55kph, bringing in dust and sandstorms. Seas will be rough to very rough in the Arabian Gulf.
Conditions will be similar on Saturday, with a further chance of dust and sandstorms, although it should remain dry.
The sea will be rough to moderate in the Arabian Gulf and rough in the Gulf of Oman.