Foggy weather is set to keep parts of the UK under a travel hazard for the rest of this week, with the worst conditions expected around the morning commute. Fog formed through Wednesday night and made driving difficult on Thursday morning, and more extensive patches are expected again on Friday.
In places, visibility will fall below 100 metres. The most widespread fog is across central and eastern England, while east Wales and parts of southern England are also expected to see mist and fog reform overnight into Saturday.
Central and eastern England
Thursday began after fog formed through Wednesday night, and the chillier start on Friday is expected to bring a wider spread of low visibility across east Wales and central and eastern England. Drivers on those roads will be the first to run into the thickest patches as the morning builds.
The weather is calming down after recent stormy weather, but the return of dense fog creates a new travel hazard. Temperatures on Thursday were expected to peak between 13 and 16C mid afternoon, slightly above average, which leaves the air calm enough for fog to linger where it forms.
Saturday and Sunday
During the night into Saturday, light winds will allow the mist and fog to reform and develop, particularly in east Wales, central and southern England. In some places, it may even linger until lunchtime on Saturday, so early journeys could face another slow start.
By Sunday, a weather front is expected to drift south, bringing a much chillier start across Scotland and Northern Ireland with more cloud and patchy fog for England and Wales. Some rain is forecast for the end of this week across the north-west of Scotland, but high pressure then builds across the UK and into November.
That high pressure matters because it encourages sinking air, which limits mixing in the atmosphere and makes it easier for mist and fog to form again next week. For motorists, the practical answer is to build extra time into early travel and treat the morning commute as the main risk window.
