Foggy weather for 2 days

By Zainab Al Nasseri — MUSCAT: Patches of fog will be seen in parts of the Sultanate on the shores of Oman Sea for the next two days, said the Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA). Since last Thursday, the fog has covered some coastal areas, reducing visibility to less than 1,000 metres. “Driving in such conditions is dangerous as drivers must reduce speed, keep safe distance between vehicles and be cautious on roads,” it said. Mainly clear skies will be seen over most of the Sultanate with chances of late night to early morning low-level clouds or fog over the governorates of Al Buraimi, Al Dhahirah, South Al Sharqiyah, coastal areas of Dhofar, Al Wusta, Musandam and Oman Sea. Yet, the fog is expected to dissipate in the next two days. Saif al Shamsi, a meteorologist at PACA, cited two reasons for the fog. “One is the cold north-west wind which passes over warm surfaces forming the fog. Second factor is the heat emitted from land surface facing high humidity,” he said. He said the fog patches develop during night or early morning accompanied by low wind, but disappear by sunrise. Fog is a natural weather condition that can reduce visibility to zero. In summer, the ground absorbs solar radiation. When seasons change, water vapour condenses as soon as it touches cold wind and quickly forms fog. This fog is often called the radiation fog. They also form when an unseasonable day of warm weather combined with high humidity is followed by dropping temperatures.