Fog threat moves across UK as high pressure brings prolonged dry spell

Dense fog is expected to create hazardous driving conditions across parts of the UK on Sunday and into next week, with the areas most at risk moving north as high pressure becomes the dominant weather system, according to BBC weather reports. A Met Office yellow warning issued on Friday covered Lincolnshire, the East Midlands, the Home Counties and parts of Greater London. Visibility fell below 100 metres in places during the morning rush hour, and the Met Office said fog would be slow to clear in some rural areas of eastern England, potentially lasting into the afternoon.

The BBC’s later forecast said the highest risk on Sunday would be in parts of the Midlands, east Wales and eastern England. Mist and fog could form elsewhere, although a weak weather front was expected to bring cloud and light drizzle to southern Scotland, northern England and north Wales, reducing the chance of fog there early in the day. Scotland and Northern Ireland were forecast to see brighter conditions, with spells of autumn sunshine apart from isolated showers.

The earlier BBC report similarly described Saturday as a mixed day, with morning mist and fog in some areas, low cloud lingering in others and thicker cloud and rain temporarily affecting north-west Scotland. From Monday, high pressure is expected to remain over or close to the UK. Clear skies overnight, light winds and slightly cooler nights will encourage further fog formation.

The most fog-prone areas during morning commutes could include the Scottish glens, the Central Belt, the Cheshire Plains, the Vale of York and parts of Northern Ireland. The reports differ slightly in their emphasis on the timing and geography of the fog. The Friday warning focused on eastern and south-eastern England, while the later outlook describes the main threat shifting northwards from Monday.

Both forecasts caution that fog may be slow to lift and could cause travel disruption. Despite the settled pattern, the BBC said an east or north-easterly wind could bring a few showers to eastern and southern coastal counties. Afternoon temperatures are expected to remain close to the early-November average, ranging from 11 to 14C, while overnight temperatures could fall to 2 or 3C in the north and about 5 to 8C further south.

The dry outlook follows a recent spell of storms and rain, but it is not expected to resolve England’s water shortages. The Environment Agency says 82% of England remains in drought status and that 20% more rain than average is needed over the next six months for the drought to end. Environment Agency chief executive Philip Duffy said recent rain was welcome but had not reversed months of hot, dry weather.

Rivers, reservoirs and groundwater, he said, required sustained rainfall to recover. The BBC reported that water companies are being urged to accelerate leak repairs, while the public is being asked to reduce water use. High pressure could keep the UK largely dry through early November, with little significant rainfall expected.

The Met Office’s three-month outlook nevertheless gives double the usual chance of wetter-than-normal conditions, with the BBC linking that broader possibility to El Niño.