The UAE was blanketed by hazy conditions and experienced relatively cooler weather, but the weathermen said it will not last.
Meteorologists are predicting a change in weather in the next few days bringing back hot and dry conditions as well as the possibility of dust storms in some parts of the country.
Weathermen yesterday attributed the conditions to the movement of winds that have changed from the hot and dry south-easterly to the cooler and moisture-bearing north-westerly.
The conditions will continue to be hazy at times in the next 48 hours all over the emirates with moderate north-westerly winds.
These weather conditions, they said, are expected to change again in the next few days as another spell of south-easterly winds are expected across the country starting on Friday.
"We are expecting south-easterly winds with a speed of 15 to 20 knots over the land area of the emirates," said a senior meteorologist at the UAE Met. Department.
He said the change in winds will again create hot and dry conditions with chances of dust storms in some parts of the country. "What we are experiencing is temporary," he said.
The temporary weather change has also increased the risks of catching a cold and doctors are advising the public to stop drinking cold water and soft drinks.
Weathermen in Dubai said the slight drop in temperature could be a harbinger for the tapering off of the hot summer days.
"We're turning the corner now. We're at the end of August, and so were looking for more pleasant weather in this part of the world," said Clive Stevens, weatherman at the Dubai International Airport.
In Abu Dhabi, the city and its suburbs were blanketed by heavy fog and mist from the early hours of the morning until noon yesterday.
The fog and mist reduced visibility to 100 metres in some places. Bateen was the hardest hit. However, flights at Abu Dhabi International Airport were not affected.
Yesterday, the temperature in Al Ain hit 44 degrees Celsius, 42 in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah. Dubai and Umm Al Quwain experienced a high of 40 degrees Celsius, followed by Fujairah at 37.
The highest maximum humidity recorded yesterday was 85 per cent in Fujairah, 75 per cent in Abu Dhabi and Umm Al Quwain, 70 per cent in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, 65 per cent in Ajman and Sharjah and 55 per cent in Al Ain.
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