Fog blankets southern England, cutting visibility to feet for drivers

Visibility on major roads across southern and central England could drop to a couple of feet on Thursday, the Met Office warned. The thick fog is expected to settle overnight following a dry night, creating difficult conditions for millions of drivers during the peak morning rush hour. The weather pattern arrives after a week that began with mild, clear skies for many in the region, a brief respite from the severe weather systems that struck earlier in the week.

The Met Office weather map indicates that mist will form in parts of east Wales, the West Midlands, and across Northamptonshire. However, the most significant impact is forecast for large parts of East Anglia, where dense fog may linger throughout the morning commute. In some areas, patches of fog could persist until lunchtime before conditions begin to clear. The grey sky and reduced light are expected to make temperatures feel chillier than the actual forecast suggests.

Steven Keates, the Met Office’s deputy chief forecaster, explained that high pressure will start to build from Wednesday. This shift will ease winds and bring a quieter, largely drier end to the week for many areas. Although some rain remains possible in the north and west, the primary concern for the south and east is low visibility. Keates noted that nighttime fog risks in eastern and southern England could return early next week.

This fog event follows a turbulent start to the storm season. Storms Austen and Boelo brought torrential rain and wind gusts reaching 80 mph to the UK earlier this week. The severe weather resulted in two deaths: a 29-year-old man in north London was killed when a tree crushed his car, and a 60-year-old man in Scotland died on Sunday. The recent calm provided a short break before the next set of atmospheric conditions took hold.

Motorists are advised to prepare for reduced sightlines, particularly as fog is most common from October through March. The motoring organization AA recommends using dipped headlights, wipers, and demisters. Drivers should switch on fog lights only when necessary and turn them off once visibility improves. It is also important to watch for other vehicles that may not have their appropriate lights on.

Speed adjustment is critical in low visibility conditions. Drivers should slow down to allow more time to stop and increase the gap to the vehicle ahead from two seconds to three. At junctions where sightlines are poor, the AA suggests opening a window to listen for approaching traffic. These measures aim to mitigate the risks associated with the dense mist expected to cover the region this week.

The shift in weather patterns marks a transition from the active storm system to a high-pressure regime. While the wind speeds are dropping, the stillness of the air allows moisture to settle near the ground, forming the fog bank. The forecast indicates that large parts of the UK will remain dry and settled on Friday and Saturday, though rain is still expected in northern and western parts of the British Isles.