New insights on sand dust storm from historical records, UAE

Abstract

Dust properties are playing a major role in visibility reduction during dust storms. To evaluate the visibility variations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), data collected at eight stations from 2010 to 2017 was analyzed. The mean annual visibility ranged from 8291 to 9295 with a 7-year overall average visual range of 8.98 km. Results show increasing occurrences in mild to severe dust storms with subsequent progressive decreasing in the mean annual visibility value. Reduction in the annual mean visibility was mainly noted in the central and some northeastern parts of the UAE. Under winter conditions, degradation of visibility extends to Abu Dhabi and other central Emirates. The dust storms occurred at greater frequencies when the wind speed exceeded 15 notes, with a visibility of less than 3000 m.