Weather hots up as winds whip up sandstorm

Al Ain/Dubai: Hot desert winds whipped up sand yesterday, slashing visibility and causing temperatures to rocket.

But late in the evening heavy showers in Dubai and some parts of the country brought some respite from the heat. During the day driving became more difficult as motorists struggled to see major landmarks that they normally use to navigate.

Schoolchildren were seen covering their eyes with their hands while waiting for their transport.

By late afternoon, things had begun to clear up and forecasters predicted things would be back to normal today, although they warned there was a chance of rain and even thunderstorms in places. Visibility was about 1km in Abu Dhabi, 1.2km in Dubai and 2km in Al Ain and Sharjah.

Strong gusts

Chris Worger, duty forecaster at Dubai International Airport, said winds yesterday afternoon averaged 22 knots and gusted as high as 30 knots. Al Ain and many other parts of the country also experienced strong gusts.

Similar conditions were experienced at sea, where strong winds generated waves as high as seven feet.

The winds came from the south, bringing in warm air that saw the mercury climb as high as 33 degrees C in Dubai. Worger said the hot weather was therefore not the first signs of seasonal warming.

"The southerly wind was blowing off from the desert and in addition, there was no cloud to stop heat from getting in," he said.

He said the winds would go down to a weak shamal from the northwest today and the dust will settle, so that by noon visibility should return to normal with bright skies.

Worger also warned that there was a chance of rain and thunderstorms early this morning although for most of the day fine weather is expected.

Today is expected to be significantly cooler than yesterday, with forecasters predicting a maximum temperature of 26 degrees C.

The lower temperatures are largely the result of a change in wind direction, with cooler air coming in from the sea. The minimum temperature today is expected to be about the same as yesterday, at around 19 degrees C.

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