UAE Braces for Reduced Visibility following Yellow Dust Alert

Dubai: The National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has issued a yellow dust alert for Wednesday morning, covering key areas of the UAE. The alert warns of blowing dust and significantly reduced visibility, which may drop to less than 500 meters. This advisory is in effect until 4:30 pm.

UAE residents can expect a noticeable shift in weather patterns today, with a gradual decrease in temperatures and cloud cover across the country. According to the NCM, the weather will be dusty to partly cloudy, becoming cloudy at times in the region, with a chance of moderate to heavy rainfall, especially in western and eastern regions.

Daytime high temperatures are expected to reach around 28°C, while the cooling trend is more pronounced at night. Lows could fall to 8°C in some inland and mountainous areas. As of this morning, Dubai is experiencing mostly cloudy and windy conditions with a temperature of 24°C. The lowest temperature recorded over the country this morning is 9.7°C in Jais Mountain (Ras Al Khaimah) at 3:45 am.

Winds will be a factor throughout the day, blowing at speeds between 10 km/h and 25 km/h and occasionally strengthening to 40 km/h in exposed areas. These stronger winds are responsible for stirring up dust and sand, leading to reduced visibility and the current alert. Wind speeds are expected to ease gradually after sunset.

The maximum humidity level is projected to reach up to 85%, increasing the likelihood of mist or fog forming overnight in parts of the country. For marine activities, conditions in the Arabian Gulf are forecast to be moderate to slight, and slight to moderate in the Oman Sea. The sea is generally safe, though slight fluctuations are possible during periods of stronger wind gusts.