Abu Dhabi: The capital woke to fog and sandstorm on Thursday and poor visibility disrupted office-going traffic. All that one could see from their windows and balconies was nothing but thick sand and fog cover.
The met department had already send warning about it on Wednesday and the immediate impact was seen on the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge rally. The event was called off as air support couldn’t be provided.
Helicopter support from Abu Dhabi Aviation is vital to ensure competitor safety. With visibility down to 100m, the choppers were unable to take off.
The 89 competitors - 42 cars & buggies, 47 bikes & quads – were asked to take a road section to Yas Marina Circuit where the rally finishes at 4.30pm.
Commuting become all the more difficult after 8am with sandstorm thickening and traffic jams were reported from all roads leading to the capital.
Many residents said they were surprised to find that they could not see anything through their apartment windows in the morning.
“I felt my windows have been painted by red or yellow colours. When I looked close to the window, I was able to see dust blanketed outside, "Jith Raj, 35, an Indian resident in Mussaffah said.
“And winds were blowing noisily outside, which is uncommon here.” e said it was a tough task to drive from the outskirts to the city because of low visibility.
