UK Weather Forecast: Freezing Fog To Disrupt Flights As 'Severe' Warning Issued

Expect flight cancellations.
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Freezing fog is expected to continue causing chaos to air passengers hoping to travel on Tuesday. 

The Met Office said overnight fog may cause fresh disruption to air travel, after thousands of would-be fliers across southern England faced cancellations and delays on Monday. 

The new “severe” warning covers all of England, except for the North East and Wales, and will remain in place until 11am on Tuesday. 

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Big Ben is seen through fog and mist yesterday.
Alastair Grant/AP

Freezing fog is expected to re-form overnight and become “widespread” across parts of south-west England, south-east Wales and south-west Midlands, with dense patches likely to form elsewhere.

It is expected to slowly thin and lift during Tuesday, but may persist in some areas throughout the day, the Met Office said.

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Sheep in a frosty field near Kings Lynn in Norfolk this morning.

On Monday around 100 flights were cancelled at Heathrow Airport, while there was also disruption at Gatwick, London City, Stansted and Southampton airports.

A Heathrow spokesman said a similar number of flights were expected to be cancelled on Tuesday and apologised to passengers who may be affected by the weather. 

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A frozen church near Kings Lynn in Norfolk.

He said: “With Heathrow operating at more than 99% capacity, there are no gaps in the schedule that can be used for delayed flights and as a result, some passengers may experience disruption to their journeys.

“Passengers should check their flight status with their airline before coming to the airport.”

Edinburgh Airport advised passengers to contact their airlines after flights toward the south of the UK were affected on Monday. 

Bristol Airport said flights were operating as normal while Stansted said it had no cancellations yet but urged passengers to contact their airlines for the latest information. 

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The frozen surface of the Grand Union Canal in Little Venice, London.
Yui Mok/PA Wire

Road users were also being warned of difficult driving conditions, after Dorset Police reported 31 collisions on Monday morning - six times more than would occur at that time on an average weekday. 

The force is urging motorists to take extra care on Tuesday, while the Met Office warned journeys are likely to take longer than usual due to the adverse conditions.  

Meanwhile, ferries running to and from the Isle of Wight between Lymington and Yarmouth have been suspended until mid-morning on Tuesday due to dense fog, Wightlink Ferries said.

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Horses graze in a paddock with fog enveloping the trees behind them, around Leith Hill in Surrey.
Matt Dunham/AP

It is advising customers booked on that route to re-book via Portsmouth and Fishbourne, and is providing coaches for foot passengers hoping to travel on the alternative service.