UAE eyes SMS storm warnings

DUST STORM: Authorities are considering a range of options to reduce the impact of severe weather on the public. (Getty Images)

UAE residents could soon receive advance warning of adverse weather conditions by text message, an official said on Saturday.

Authorities are considering a range of options, including SMS, aimed at reducing the impact of bad weather on the public, although a decision has not yet been finalised, a source from the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) told UAE daily Gulf News.

“One of the objectives of the NCMS is to issue weather forecasts and early warnings to help people avoid any risks that might be associated with extraordinary weather phenomena such as cyclones, severe windstorms, heavy rain, fog or dust storms,” said NCMS Executive Director Abdullah Ahmad Al Mandoos.

The comment comes in the wake of the UAE’s worst ever road accident involving some 200 vehicles, caused by speeding and fog.

Authorities are keen to warn motorists of possible adverse conditions as early as possible to prevent a repeat of the incident, in which three people died and 347 were injured.

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