On September 1st, residents in Abu Dhabi woke up to dense fog that severely impacted visibility across several areas, as the UAE continues to battle intense summer heat and dusty conditions. Weather alerts from official agencies warned of near-zero visibility, urging motorists and early commuters to proceed with caution. The day also brought high humidity and scorching temperatures, with some regions recording highs nearing 48°C.
Heavy fog blankets Abu Dhabi in early morning hours
The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) issued a red alert for fog formation on Monday, September 1, warning of significantly reduced visibility, potentially dropping to near-zero levels between 2:00am and 8:30am.The dense fog primarily affected coastal and internal areas, with notable formations over:
- Al Hamra
- Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed International Road, specifically from Al Mugheirah Bridge to Jabal Al Dhannah Bridge in the Al Dhafra region
- Um Laylah, located east of Al Zarraf
- Habshan
- Madinat Zayed
In response, Abu Dhabi Police issued warnings on X (formerly Twitter), advising drivers to exercise extreme caution, reduce speed, and adhere to electronic traffic signs indicating lowered speed limits. Authorities highlighted the risk to motorists due to drastically low visibility during these early hours.
Daytime heat remains oppressive across UAE
While fog dominated the early hours, daytime temperatures soared across the country.
- In Abu Dhabi, the temperature was forecast to reach 41°C, with nighttime lows at 31°C. Despite the thermometer reading 32°C, the real feel due to humidity and haze reached a sweltering 44°C.
- Dubai recorded similar conditions with highs of 40°C, a real-feel temperature of 38°C, and a low of 31°C.
- According to AccuWeather, skies across both cities remained hazy and dusty, contributing to the oppressive feel.
Nationwide, the hottest temperature was logged in Hamim (Al Dhafra region) at 47.6°C at 3:00pm on Sunday, underlining the extreme summer conditions prevailing across inland areas.
Forecast: Continued heat, high humidity, and cloud activity
The NCM’s forecast for September 1st and the upcoming day highlights persistently harsh weather:
- General outlook: Fair to partly cloudy skies, with a chance of convective cloud formation over eastern and southern regions in the afternoon. These are signs of vertical air movements that could signal instability and lead to rainfall.
- Temperature range by region:
- Interior regions: 43°C to 47°C
- Coastal areas and islands: 37°C to 44°C
- Mountainous areas: 31°C to 36°C
- Humidity is expected to rise overnight and into Tuesday morning, especially in coastal and internal zones. Relative humidity could reach 85% in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, increasing the likelihood of fog or mist formation once again.
- Winds will be light to moderate, blowing from southeasterly to northwesterly directions, with speeds of 10 to 25 km/h, gusting up to 40 km/h at times. In some forecasts, wind direction was reported as southeasterly to northeasterly, reaching up to 35 km/h.
- Sea conditions remain slight (calm) in both the Arabian Gulf and the Oman Sea.
Safety guidelines and public advisories
As the UAE continues to experience one of the harshest phases of its summer, authorities have issued several public safety reminders:
- Avoid outdoor activities during peak heat hours.
- Stay hydrated and limit physical exertion.
- Drive cautiously during fog alerts and low visibility periods.
- Monitor updates from the National Center of Meteorology (NCM) and official channels.
Additionally, residents are advised to remain vigilant as changing weather patterns, especially convective cloud development, can lead to sudden rain showers or unsettled conditions, like the evening rainfall recorded in parts of the country on Sunday, following an orange alert issued earlier in the day.
