|
Dubai: Heavy fog blanketed the main cities of the UAE for the second consecutive day on Monday dropping visibility down to 50 meters in some areas and disrupting many passenger flights.
The hardest hit was Abu Dhabi airport where the fog affected operations between 12.26 am to 8 am on Monday. Airport sources said 19 flights were affected as visibility there dropped to 200 meters.
“We closely monitored the situation with the airlines to minimize problems to passengers,” an airport spokesman said.
Five Air Arabia flights out of Sharjah Airport were hit because of the fog as well. The flights were to various destinations including Chennai, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Amman and Kochi, South India.
The Chennai flight was the worst affected. Passengers said the flight was supposed to have taken off at 10.50 Sunday night. “We then heard a noise as we were taxiing and the plane returned and we were told there was a technical glitch,” one passenger said.
The flight finally took off 12.20 am on Monday.
Dubai was not affected as visibility was 500 meters, said the duty forecaster, Dr. S.K. Gupta, who added that the fog was caused by the North-Westerly winds bringing moisture from the sea.
Temperatures also dropped to 15 degrees last night. “The fog started forming in the desert and blew inland and to the coastal belt,” he said.
In Sharjah the fog started blanketing the area from 9.30 Sunday night and by 4am on Monday visibility was down to 100 meters, according to the forecaster.
No fog is expected on Tuesday but there will be heavy early morning mist.
Due to the South-Easterly winds, the weather is getting warmer and there will be no fog for the next three days, said Gupta. The maximum recorded in Dubai on Monday was 30 degrees Celsius.
|
