Dubai: Dusty and hazy conditions caused by a sandstorm coming from Saudi Arabia may continue on Friday, but will gradually improve to give way to sunny and partially cloudy weather on Saturday.
Fresh to strong winds loaded with dust and sand covered the whole country on Thursday, making the UAE’s skies appear Mars-like and brownish-orange on Thursday morning until past 2pm.
Visibility at noon Thursday was reduced to less than 100 metres in the western parts of Abu Dhabi and 200 metres in Dubai and Sharjah.
Weather forecasters at the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) said the dusty and hazy condition is caused by the sandstorm and dust storm that plagued Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“The dust storm and sandstorm that happened over the north of Saudi Arabia moved gradually to the south-eastern part of the Gulf, affecting Bahrain and Qatar and by Thursday midnight started affecting the UAE,” a forecaster told Gulf News.
“On Friday, we expect dusty conditions to move on to Oman and Yemen and weather will gradually improve, but it will still be dusty in general. Visibility will be better on Friday compared to Thursday,” he added.
Videos taken by some residents in Saudi Arabia showed a big ball of sand and dust blanketing the northern part of the kingdom. This northwesterly wind packed with dust then gradually moved in the direction of Bahrain, Qatar and UAE, although the sand cloud had spread out by the time it reached the three Gulf states.
Some citizens and residents who have been in the UAE for a long time, said this has so far been one of the worst sandstorms they have witnessed in decades.
But this is to be expected, the forecaster said.
“This kind of weather is normal at this time of the year because we are now in the transition period between winter and summer. At this time many weather phenomena like this happen quickly,” the forecaster said.
The dusty conditions will bring a drop in temperature across the country on Friday, with temperature expected to be between 16 degrees Celsius and 30C in the northern emirates, and 28C to 33C in Dubai and some parts in Abu Dhabi.
NCMS has issued a warning against heading out to sea on Friday as the Arabian Gulf will be very rough to rough, while Oman Sea will be rough to moderate.
