UAE authorities issued red and yellow alerts for dense fog covering parts of the country's coastal and inland areas early Wednesday, disrupting flight schedules at Dubai International and other airports. The National Centre of Meteorology said visibility dropped sharply overnight and into Wednesday morning, with the reduced-visibility warning expected to remain in force until around 8:30am. Forecasters added that fog or mist could reform over western areas into Thursday morning as well.
The low visibility rippled through air travel: several inbound and outbound flights at Dubai International Airport were delayed on Wednesday, and some domestic services were cancelled. Airlines urged passengers to check flight status online or contact their carrier directly before heading to the airport, rather than relying on scheduled departure times.
Traffic authorities also renewed warnings to motorists to slow down and keep a safe following distance during foggy stretches, noting that poor visibility is a leading cause of multi-vehicle pile-ups on UAE highways during the cooler months.
The fog arrived just as autumn officially began in the UAE, and meteorologists say early-morning fog over coastal and inland areas typically becomes more frequent as the year moves toward winter. The National Centre of Meteorology asked residents to keep following official channels for updated weather bulletins rather than relying on unconfirmed reports circulating online.