The Daily Dazzling Dawn

United Kingdom |

More fog to come after flights disrupted across UK

by DD Staff

December 28, 2024

Cars navigate foggy conditions on the M3 near Basingstoke on Friday. Pic: PA

key takeaways

The UK will see more heavy fog over the weekend following disruption which forced flight cancellations and delays at airports.

On Saturday, visibility might drop to only 100 meters in some places due to dense fog patches, according to the Met Office.

The South East and central England are expected to experience the worst of the fog, with East Anglia and portions of South Wales also being impacted.

Although there are currently no fog weather alerts issued by forecasters, the Met Office stated that it will keep an eye on the situation throughout the weekend.

Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslick said: "It's that time of year when people are travelling around the country a lot and there are a lot of people on the roads.

"There is a lot of fog covering much of England, mainly the South East and central England, but the rest of the country is seeing quite a bit of thick fog too.

"It will be pretty murky on Saturday morning and there will still be fog patches that will take a little longer to clear."

Meanwhile, there is a yellow warning in place for heavy rain in parts of Scotland for Monday and New Year's Eve on Tuesday, leaving the start of 2025 "distinctly unsettled".

Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations could face "significant disruption" from rain, with organisers warning audiences to "prepare for all weather, wrap up warm and double-check with your travel operator for the latest updates."

The yellow warning could see as much as 140mm (5.5in) of rain in places, as other parts of the UK will likely see rain, wind and possibly even snow later on next week.

The Met Office added that "more warnings are likely to be issued".

At Heathrow, British Airways was forced to cancel a handful of flights due to fog on Friday, while others were delayed.

Flights at both Gatwick and Manchester Airport were disrupted, with delays of up to three hours at Gatwick.

This could continue into the weekend if the misty weather persists.

A spokesperson for the UK's main air traffic control provider Nats said it had implemented "temporary air traffic restrictions" at several airports on Friday due to the fog.

While the fog likely won't remain past the weekend, people should not hold out hope for sustained sunshine with wet and windy conditions expected for much of the country, the Met Office said.