Met Office map shows fog warning across swathes of England and Wales
A yellow weather warning for fog is in place for large swathes of England, which could cause travel disruption on Thursday.
The Met Office issued the warning on Wednesday night and will be in place until 11am this morning. It covers areas from Exeter to Oxford, Birmingham, Peterborough and York, as well as parts of Wales.
Car journeys could be affected due to difficult driving conditions, while there could be delays to bus and train services. The Met Office warned that the fog could also disrupt flights from affected airports.
Met Office meteorologist Clare Nasir said that the fog “could be slow to clear”.
It comes less than a month after some of the UK’s busiest airports saw disruption as thick fog blanketed the country, with delays at Heathrow, Luton and Manchester airports.
Flights were also disrupted earlier this month as snow, ice and heavy winds prompted runway closures or pauses to operations at with Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol airports.
Tips for driving safely in fog
It can be difficult to see the road ahead of you while driving in fog so it is important you take steps to make the journey as safe as possible.
Before setting off you should turn on your fog lights so that you can see – and other drivers can see you. Braking distances should be longer so keep a greater distance between yourself and the vehicle in front of you.
Fog can vary and its thickness can change in an instant so check mirrors and slow down if you can see a thicker band of fog ahead of you.
It may be tempting to put your lights on full beam but fog reflects the light back so you should keep these turned off and keep your fog lights on. However, if the fog lifts it is important to switch off your fog lights straight away as they can dazzle other drivers and increase the risk of accidents.
What is the weather like for the rest of Thursday?
Once the fog eases, the rest of the day will remain largely settled for most of the country, according to the Met Office.
The forecaster said that there will be a cold start across Wales, northern England, southern Scotland, with cloud across Northern Ireland and the central belt of Scotland.
The far northwest of Scotland will remain windy with occasional spells of light rain. Cloud in the southeast will spread into Wales and southwest England.
The rest of the country can expect dry and sunny spells after the early fog clears. Tonight will see less fog than previous nights with slightly milder temperatures.