ABU DHABI // Motorists are being warned that bad weather is expected to hit the Emirates in the coming days. Dense fog is expected on Tuesday, reducing visibility in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to about 500 metres, but a spokesman for the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology said the record rainfall of last weekend was not likely to be repeated. "We do expect mist and fog patches in the early morning," he said. "If the fog forms, it could be very dangerous in the morning when the roads are crowded, so precautions must be taken."
Cooler north-westerly winds will also bring down temperatures. Mountainous areas could feel quite chilly, he said, with minimum temperatures at around 5°C. It should be warmer around Jebel Hafeet, with temperatures hovering at about 15°C. The strong winds will make for choppy seas until tomorrow and the spokesman urged fishermen to be especially careful. The heavy thunderstorms that pounded the capital and other parts of the country on December 13, causing storm drains to overflow and homes to flood, produced the most intense single-day rainfall ever recorded in Abu Dhabi.
The 101.8mm of rain that day exceeded the accumulated rainfall for the entire month of December in 1994, the weather office said. There was light to moderate rain early yesterday in the northern emirates. "But at this moment," the meteorologist said yesterday, "there should be no more rain for this week." mkwong@thenational.ae
