Visibility to improve as desert winds subside

Al Ain/Dubai: Visibility plunged to 2,000 metres in parts of the UAE yesterday as desert winds whipped up sand and dust.

After two successive mornings in which visibility has been cut by windy and dusty conditions, meteorologists said today was likely to remain clear.

Both Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah saw visibility of 2,000 metres, while in Abu Dhabi 3,500 metres was recorded, and in Dubai and Fujairah visibility went down to 4,000 metres.

Winds in Dubai yesterday morning regularly blew at between 14 and 18 knots, and sometimes gusted up to 20 knots. In the afternoon, visibility improved.

Construction

"There is so much sand and construction around us [and this gets whipped up by winds]. It should improve tomorrow because the winds are weakening and coming back to normal," said the duty forecaster at Dubai International Airport.

The hottest place in the UAE yesterday was Al Ain, where the mercury rose up to 46C, followed by Liwa, where 45C was recorded.

In Dubai, a maximum temperature of 42C was recorded at the airport, while temperatures fell down to 33C. Forecasters in Dubai are predicting a maximum of 42C and a minimum of 32C today.

Although most parts of the UAE saw temperatures rise above 40C yesterday, life outdoors was not particularly uncomfortable, given the time of year, as a result of low humidity levels. The meteorologists' comfort index, which combines the effects of temperature and humidity, with higher levels of each representing larger numbers on the scale, climbed up to just four yesterday, which represents "uncomfortable" conditions.

Humidity

The day before it reached six, which is classed as "very uncomfortable", while this summer it has gone as high as eight, which forecasters describe as "extremely uncomfortable."

Humidity was low because the winds were coming from the east and so were bringing dry desert air. This contrasts with winds that come from the sea, which tend to be more humid. "The easterly is more dry and it doesn't bring humidity. [Tuesday] was not that bad. The day before there was more moisture in the air," the duty forecaster added. Forecasters at the UAE Met Office said there was a slight risk of rain today in some eastern and northern parts of the country.

"We see chances of rain but they are slim," a meteorologist at the UAE Met Office told Gulf News.