Is winter really over in Dubai?

Winter in Dubai is over according local weather experts who claim that temperatures are starting to rise, although there is some risk of rain in other emirates.

The news comes after several days of thick fog which was blamed for hundreds of accidents on the roads, leaving three people dead and many more injured.

[RELATED STORY: 70 vehicles in two massive pile ups]

National weather forecasters say temperatures will continue to rise into the mid to high 20Cs over the coming week, although there are some chances of rain over the next few days, ‘but not in Dubai’. A National Centre for Meterology and Seismology spokesman told the website Emirates 24/7: "There are chances of rain tomorrow, but in northern areas like Ras Al Khaimah."

That’s in contrast to international weather forecasting site Accuweather.com, which warns of some rain and drizzle in Dubai on Saturday. The site also predicts that temperatures will dip at night to as low 13C.

TEMPERATURES RISING

As parts of northern Europe and America were buried under thick snow, December and January saw temperatures dip to below 20C across the UAE.  At night there were warnings of near freezing temperatures in the desert , leading to warnings against people camping.

In November there were spates of heavy rain that led to flash floods and hazardous driving conditions across the country. 

[RELATED STORY: 3 dead, 630 crashes reported across UAE]

But more recently, temperatures have started to rise, leading to thick fog with almost no visibility. Despite the hazardous conditions, motorists failed to take notice of police advice to drive more carefully, leading to hundreds of road smashes in which three people were killed.

Lt Colonal Nasser Sulaiman Al Maskari, director of operations at Abu Dhabi Police told local daily 7Days: “Motorists should drive carefully under these conditions and should use fog lights and refrain from using hazard lights which cause confusion.”

[RELATED GALLERY: Mobile phone pictures of the thick fog over Dubai]