What’s causing the dust to reduce visibility across the UAE?

Dubai: Over the past two days, an unusual, persistent veil of dust has settled over the UAE, making driving difficult and blurring the skyline. According to the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM), this period of suspended dust, which has significantly impacted visibility, is expected to continue across the country until 9pm on Wednesday.

The current weather instability is driven by a complex interplay of pressure systems. A weak low-pressure system originating from the east is being countered by a high-pressure system from the west, while another weak low-pressure system lingers in the upper atmosphere.

The root cause of the dust was the shift and weakening of a low-pressure system initially forecast to bring precipitation to the eastern Arabian Peninsula. As the system weakened, it veered southward toward the Oman border, losing its clouds and moisture along the way. This dust was then carried into the UAE by southeasterly winds, reducing horizontal visibility to less than 1,000 meters in some areas and around 2,000 meters in others.

The continued combination of southeasterly and northeasterly winds, along with persistent easterly flow, is expected to maintain suspended dust and sand, particularly over the Oman Sea and the UAE’s eastern and northern regions. These conditions also raise the likelihood of convective (rainy) cloud formation east of Al Ain and further south, potentially supporting cloud seeding operations if the clouds move into UAE airspace.

Authorities have issued warnings due to the reduced visibility, urging motorists and sea-goers to exercise extreme caution in affected areas.