45km winds, low visibility: UAE's NCM issues dust storm alert for Dubai, Abu Dhabi

The horizontal visibility is down to less than 2000 metres and the situation is likely to last until 6pm, the NCM said

Published: Mon 25 Mar 2024, 11:29 AM

Updated: Mon 25 Mar 2024, 11:43 AM

By
Web Desk

Fresh to strong gust of winds, with speed reaching up to 45 km/hour at times, are blowing over some internal areas in the UAE on Monday.

With dust and sand storm blowing, the horizontal visibility is down to less than 2000 metres and the situation is likely to last until 6pm, the National Centre of Meteorology posted on X around 10 am. The NCM has also issued yellow alert, which calls for public to be cautious during outdoor activities, for parts of Abu Dhabi including Al Ain and Nahil.

According to weather.com, winds with speed between 40 to 50km/h are strong enough to break umbrellas and move large tree branches.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

KT reader Ann M said she could hear howling winds in her neighbourhood in Jaddaf. "At first, I thought the construction sites nearby were being particularly noisy. But then the winds really picked up and that's when we realised it was the weather."

Ann says she had to battle the winds in trying to access her balcony, as the force of it threatened to do damage to her door. "It seems to have moved on now, but for about 15-20 minutes, it was kicking up a lot of dust and reducing visibility. We saw a couple of birds struggling to stay in flight," she added.

The NCM's forecast for today was partly cloudy in general, and cloudy at times. The sea will be rough in the Arabian Gulf and slight to moderate in Oman Sea.

Temperatures are expected to drop to a low of 14ºC in mountainous parts of the country and reach a high of 37ºC in internal areas.