Fog Warning: 50-Metre Visibility Expected for Southern Commuters
Yellow warnings cover southern England and parts of Wales and Northern Ireland, with Heathrow already reporting disruptions.
By Samir Patterson ·
Commuters in the southern half of England face reduced visibility as early as Tuesday morning, with forecasters predicting conditions that could drop sight lines to 50 metres or less. The Met Office issued yellow weather warnings for most of England below Manchester, excluding Devon and Cornwall. These warnings also extend to eastern Wales, including Cardiff, and much of Northern Ireland, though Belfast is not included in the affected zone.
Travelers should expect delays on buses and trains, as well as potential flight cancellations. The warning for Monday covered a wide swath of the country, prompting airport authorities to issue specific advice for those heading to Heathrow. The airport told passengers to allow extra time to reach their gates, noting that overnight fog had already reduced visibility on surrounding roads and was expected to persist through the morning hours.
Niamh Murray, an operational meteorologist at the Met Office, identified the specific atmospheric conditions driving the forecast. She described a combination of clear skies, light winds, and longer nights as the "perfect recipe" for fog formation. Murray explained that the cooler temperatures of autumn and winter allow the air to reach saturation more quickly, leading to dense fog that is slow to clear, particularly when temperatures drop below zero Celsius.
The affected area is expected to shrink on Tuesday. The forecast suggests the fog will extend from the Midlands, Staffordshire, and Cheshire in the west across to much of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and East Anglia. This shift moves the disruption northward but maintains the risk for commuters in the central belt.
The warnings follow a serious incident on Saturday evening involving 30 vehicles on the M20 in Kent. The collision occurred between junctions eight and nine near Maidstone under foggy conditions. Two people sustained serious injuries, and the road was closed for a period while emergency services responded to the scene.
Edmund King, president of the AA, has reiterated advice for drivers facing low-visibility conditions. He urged motorists to reduce speed and increase the following distance from the vehicle ahead. King warned that relying on the rear lights of another car can create a false sense of safety, leaving drivers with insufficient time to react if the car in front stops suddenly. He advised drivers to base their speed on the distance they can clearly see ahead.
