The UK Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning as current atmospheric conditions create a “perfect recipe” for dense fog that is expected to disrupt travel. The alert remains active from 6pm on Sunday until 11am on Monday.
Affected Regions and Travel Impact
The warning covers most of southern England, excluding the south-west, and spans the entirety of the Midlands. Pockets of northern England and Wales are also included, with fog anticipated in Cardiff, Wrexham, Liverpool, Sheffield, and York. Visibility may drop to 50 metres or less in certain parts of the country, prompting warnings of potential delays and cancellations for bus, train, and flight services.
Meteorological Factors Behind the Fog
Niamh Murray, an operational meteorologist at the Met Office, explained that longer autumn and winter nights allow temperatures to decrease significantly and come closer to the saturation point required for fog formation. She noted that while patchy fog could appear in other regions such as Northern Ireland, the West Country, and Scotland’s central belt, it would not be as dense.
According to Murray, the current weather pattern provides ideal conditions for widespread fog. She stated that light winds combined with clear skies and long nights allow the phenomenon to develop, noting that sub-zero temperatures can make the fog particularly stubborn to clear the following day. The densest patches are forecast for rural areas across East Anglia, Wales, and the Midlands during the overnight hours, alongside potential air frost.
Following the fog, upcoming rainfall could provide relief to regions like the south-west that experienced recent droughts. Murray stated that slow-moving rain could bring accumulations of 50mm to 70mm to areas where severe drought restrictions remain enforced by the Environment Agency.
