UAE weather: Police urge caution on roads as more rain and fog expected

Motorists were asked to take precautions such as check their car’s windscreen wipers are working and switch on lights in overcast weather conditions.

In rain and fog when visibility is poor and conditions can be slippery, police urge drivers to put their lights on, keep safe driving distances to other vehicles and obey speed limits. Satish Kumar / Show more

DUBAI // Drivers are being urged to be careful as more rain and fog is forecast in the coming days.

Motorists should check their windscreen wipers are working and switch on lights in overcast weather conditions, police said.

Tailbacks and a few minor accidents, with no one injured, were reported in Dubai and Abu Dhabi following rain on Sunday night.

“We advise in this situation that drivers must keep to the speed limit,” said Lt Imran Abdullah, of Dubai Traffic Police.

“During rain drivers should take care to be below the speed limit and keep a safe distance between cars. They must not change lanes without warning or it will be dangerous because cars can slip and skid.”

Sharjah Police also urged motorists to slow down and follow traffic safety rules, especially when visibility was reduced because of fog.

Beaches in the Northern Emirates have been empty after the authorities discouraged people from going into the water because of the bad weather, with officials patrolling the corniches in Ajman and Sharjah.

A municipality worker at the open beach in Sharjah said that as soon as the weather changed, people were asked to leave for their safety.

“Now it’s a bit cool compared to Sunday but still the weather could change at any time and the patrols are here to ensure people continue swimming only when it’s safe,” he said.

One beachgoer, Ivan, from Russia, said he was relying on officials to tell him when it was safe to swim.

“It’s very difficult to be on holiday and don’t swim, but I am swimming with caution and observance of what the beach guards say,” he said.

Warnings were issued to fishermen because of the rough conditions in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

There were no immediate shortages reported in Sharjah fish market on Monday, but Mohammed Khan, a fish seller, said if boats remained in port for the rest of the week stocks would run low and prices would start to go up.

The National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology said humidity is likely to rise with a chance of fog formation on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Temperatures are set to dip this week with coastal areas dropping to 13°C with highs during the day of 22°C. In interior areas, the temperature could touch 8°C with highs of 24°C.