Dust envelops the country

Strong winds kicked up dust and sand in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other parts of the country and reduced visibility levels on roads significantly on Friday. The sun played hide and seek and the fierce winds forced most of the residents to remain indoors. The Global Village in Dubai remained close for the day due to the bad weather. A statement from the Global Village said that as part of its keenness to protect the health of its visitors and employees, the management decided to close the village with all its events for Friday. The National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) has cautioned motorists to slow down and exercise caution while driving. Visibility levels dropped to 200 metres in Al Dhafra region, 1,000 metres in Al Hamra area and 1,500 metres in Abu Dhabi, the NCMS said. According to the met department, the low pressure in the atmosphere across the country has created the southerly winds, which whipped up dust in the country. Such weather conditions are common during the month of February, it said. The weather will be windy and the seas rough until Sunday. It will begin to improve from Monday, according to the department. Residents, beachgoers and fishermen have been advised to exercise caution and avoid venturing into the seas. The weather will be partly cloudy with a chance of rain over the northern and eastern regions of the country on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Southerly winds will continue to whip up dust in most parts of the country, especially the internal areas and reduce horizontal visibility. The Abu Dhabi police has also advised people not to switch on their hazard lights in low visibility conditions as it could mislead other motorists, especially while changing lanes.