Drivers warned over freezing fog as cold snap continues
Forecasters have issued a further weather warning for fog this weekend as drivers are warned of potentially dangerous conditions on the road.
The Met Office said parts of England will be hit by difficult driving conditions while freezing temperatures could see untreated surfaces become slippery. The yellow weather warning will be in place between 2am and 11am on Sunday, with Yorkshire down to East Anglia expected to see the densest fog.It means travel delays are likely and flights could be cancelled.
The Met Office said: “Freezing fog is expected to develop during Friday night and will be slow to clear in places through Saturday morning.
“Some fog could be quite dense with the visibility falling below 100 metres at times.
“Western England is more likely to see freezing fog persist into late morning and in a few places into the afternoon.”
Overnight temperatures across the country are forecast to hit minus 2-4C in the towns and cities, while it could reach minus 7-8C in rural spots, according Met Office meteorologist Ellie Wilson.
Figures of minus 9C could be recorded in parts of Scotland which have any snow cover.
By 5am, temperatures in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland could rise to 2-3C as the frost clears.
A “moderate” air pollution alert has also been issued by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in the capital, where the foggy conditions are causing poor dispersion of vehicle emissions. He said: “On Sunday, alongside the extreme cold temperatures we’ve been experiencing, we are also expecting moderate to high levels of air pollution. “We all need to be careful over the next few days. I’m urging Londoners to look after each other by choosing to walk, cycle or take public transport, avoiding unnecessary car journeys, stopping engine idling and not burning wood or garden waste, all of which contributes to high levels of pollution.
"This is particularly important in order to protect those who are more vulnerable to high pollution.”
But Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said the worst of the cold spell is over, with temperatures expected to climb next week across the whole of the UK. Mr Snell said: “Next week, looking at the severe front, it’s looking pretty benign. “We’re starting to lose the risk of fog and temperatures are generally around where they should be. “We’ll probably lose the really hard frosts. In terms of ice and snow, it certainly looks like we’re over the worst. “We’ve got to keep an eye on risk of fog generally this cold spell, although the main hazards from it look like they are beginning to diminish.”
His comments come after temperatures plunged below minus 10C in parts of the UK this week amid snowy and icy conditions.
Drumnadrochit near Inverness in the Highlands hit minus 10.4C in the early hours of Thursday, making it the coldest recorded temperature of the year so far.
Manchester Airport was also forced to close both its runways for a period due to heavy snowfall.
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