The latest alert follows a period of dense fog that disrupted transport and public events across Greater Manchester. Visibility could fall below 100 metres overnight, with road journeys and public transport services potentially affected before conditions improve on Tuesday morning.
Dense Fog Expected Overnight As Met Office Warns of Difficult Travel Conditions
According to the Met Office, fog will develop again across the affected areas on Monday evening, becoming particularly dense during the night. The agency warns that visibility could fall below 100 metres in some locations, creating difficult travelling conditions.
The warning states: “Fog will redevelop across the area this evening, becoming dense at times overnight, with visibility reduced to less than 100 m. This will likely lead to some delays to transport and difficult travelling conditions. Fog will thin and clear during Tuesday morning.”
The new alert follows an earlier yellow warning that remained in place until 11am on Monday. A gap of several hours separates the two warnings before the next period of fog begins at 6pm.
Greater Manchester experienced significant disruption during a previous episode of thick fog on Friday night. According to the Manchester Evening News, flights were diverted, major fireworks displays were obscured, and television coverage of Altrincham FC’s FA Cup match was affected by poor visibility.
The Met Office defines fog as a cloud occurring at ground level that reduces visibility to less than 1,000 metres. It forms from tiny water droplets suspended in the air, although different types of fog develop through different processes.
Dense fog is classified as occurring when visibility drops below 100 metres. The agency explains that particularly thick fog can develop in industrial areas, where pollution particles provide surfaces around which water droplets can gather and grow.
Full List of Affected Areas and Advice for Travellers
The latest warning covers 43 local authority areas across eight regions of England and Wales. According to the Met Office warning issued at 08:45 UTC on Monday, the affected locations are:
- East Midlands: Derby, Derbyshire, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and Rutland.
- East of England: Bedford, Cambridgeshire, Central Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Luton, Norfolk, Peterborough and Suffolk.
- London and South East England: Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire.
- North West England: Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, and Greater Manchester.
- South West England: Gloucestershire.
- Wales: Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Powys and Wrexham.
- West Midlands: Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Warwickshire, West Midlands Conurbation and Worcestershire.
- Yorkshire and the Humber: East Riding of Yorkshire, North East Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire and South Yorkshire.
The Met Office advises motorists to check road conditions before travelling, allow additional journey time and consider changing their plans where necessary. Drivers should also ensure they know how to operate their fog lights and check that they are functioning correctly before setting off.
Bus and train services, flights and ferry journeys may also be affected. Passengers are advised to consult their transport operators for updates and follow any instructions issued. The yellow warning is scheduled to expire at 10am on Tuesday, with fog expected to thin and clear during the morning.
