As sand clouds shrouded the country, the organisers of the Al Ain Aerobatic Show insisted it would open to the public as scheduled.
Today's (Tuesday) preview day has been cancelled because of poor visibility, which yesterday was down to one kilometre in some areas. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority said tomorrow's public events would not be affected, however.
The sand clouds are likely to settle by this afternoon, according to the National Center of Meteorology and Seismology. A spokesman said visibility was down to 1,000 metres in Jebel Ali and 3,000m elsewhere, as the wind blew sand up from the Empty Quarter across the UAE.
By lunchtime today, the wind is expected to shift to a fresh north-westerly, causing temperatures to drop by as much as 8°C by the end of the week. There will be a good chance of rain in the mountainous northern areas.
