Thick fog causes chaos on UAE roads

Thick fog left parts of the UAE with virtually no visibility on Tuesday morning, causing chaos on the roads, but leaving spectacular views for those lucky enough to live in apartments above the cloud line.

Local media described the conditions as the worst fog seen in the country ‘for years’. In some parts of the country, traffic was at a standstill as motorists struggled to make their way to work.

Dubai Police reported fog as early as 3.30am, tweeting on their Twitter page: "There is heavy fog on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai-Al Ain Road, Sheikh Zayed Road and Bypass Road. Please drive carefully."

Conditions remained hazardous late into the morning as the heat of the day slowly burned away the mist.

BIG SURPRISE?

Reactions across online social media sites seemed to be largely of surprise, despite forecasters previously having warned that severe fog was likely, as temperatures dropped around the Emirates.

Dubai resident Maya El Yazbek took to Twitter to express her surprise at the extreme weather.

Advice to motorists is to use fog lights when driving in such low visibility, yet some still opted to use their hazard indicators instead. Which led to @AbuDhabiClassic to tweet their concerns:

CHILL TO STAY

However the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) also warned:  “If the fog is too dense, pull out completely from the road & park your vehicle in a safe area & turn on your emergency flasher.”

But while many were warning about the dangers posed, others like @mariamabdillah were revelling in the excitement of such severe conditions, they tweeted: "Holy morning fog! Can't even see the building next to me!"

Forecasters say conditions will continue to be cold, with some risk of mist over the weekend.