E-Paper
Sign In
Residents face early traffic, low visibility as monster fog blankets parts of UAE
The RTA issued alerts to motorists through its electronic signboards, advising them to reduce speed, maintain a safe distance and use fog lights
- PUBLISHED: Tue 24 Feb 2026, 7:18 AM UPDATED: Tue 24 Feb 2026, 7:38 AM
Heavy fog blanketed parts of Sharjah and Dubai on Tuesday morning, reducing visibility to just a few hundred metres.
Traffic began building up much earlier than usual as motorists drove slowly and cautiously due to dense fog patches in several areas that significantly reduced visibility on the roads.
Recommended For You
The Roads and Transport Authority issued alerts to motorists through its electronic signboards, advising them to reduce speed, maintain a safe distance and use fog lights.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
“There were really heavy patches of fog in the Sharjah industrial areas and Al Qusais this morning, reducing visibility to around 200 metres in some places,” said Usman Malik, a Sharjah resident.
“Due to the heavy fog, people were also driving slowly and cautiously. We can arrive 30 minutes late, but in the event of a minor accident, we may lose more than an hour filing an accident report. It can be quite a challenge to convince other drivers that it was their mistake. Therefore, I prefer driving slowly and cautiously during such conditions,” he added.
Meanwhile on one of UAE's major highway E311, there was heavy police presence according to eyewitnesses speaking to Khaleej Times, to ensure safety of motorists during the intense weather conditions. Heavy vehicles were also stopped on the side of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road in order to avoid any accidents.
Some readers also said school buses were delayed in picking up students from homes as vehicles treaded on a lower-than-usual pace on the busy roads.
“The weather was clear when I went to drop my daughter at the school bus stop at around 5.50am. But when I stepped onto the balcony again around 6.30am, I was surprised to see thick fog. The mosque, which is less than 200 metres from my home, was no longer visible,” said Umm-e-Aiman, also a long-time Sharjah resident.
“Fog intensity increases significantly at times, and it feels like I’m in the clouds. But visibility improves as the intensity reduces. This is one of the rare natural phenomena I have experienced today,” she added.
The UAE's National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) issued red and yellow alerts in most parts of the country due to the ongoing conditions, warning of a drop in visibility until 10am today.
Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi Police called on motorists to exercise caution due to reduced visibility and follow changing speed limits displayed on electronic information boards. Most roads in the Capital activated a 80km/hr speed limit to ensure safety on the roads.
