Dozens more flights have been canceled or delayed at Heathrow and Gatwick airports due to dense fog that has severely limited visibility and is expected to continue into the weekend.
Cloudy skies have blanketed much of the country for the past few days and showed little sign of abating on Saturday. The Japan Meteorological Agency said dense fog could occur in some areas, reducing visibility to just 100 meters.
Natt, the UK's main air traffic control provider, said some UK airports continue to be affected by “widespread” fog and aviation restrictions will remain in place in areas with poor visibility. The BBC reported that 20 flights at Heathrow Airport had already been canceled and a further 29 delayed on Saturday. Gatwick Airport experienced a flurry of cancellations on Friday, with 26 flights delayed and one canceled.
The National Weather Service has not yet issued any fog warnings but said it will monitor the situation. Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslick said:
“There is a lot of fog covering large parts of England, mainly south-east and central England, but there is also quite a bit of heavy fog in other parts of the country…Saturday morning will be quite cloudy and still The fog will remain.''The fog is forming and will take some time to clear. ”
Dozens of flights from airports across the UK were canceled and hundreds delayed on Friday, according to flight tracking website Flightradar 24.
A spokesperson for West Sussex's Gatwick Airport confirmed air traffic restrictions remained in place on Saturday. “Some flights may be delayed throughout the day.” “London Gatwick apologizes for the inconvenience. Passengers should contact the airline for further information.”
Irem, 36, said her flight from Cologne, Germany, to Manchester Airport was delayed by more than six hours on Friday due to fog in northern England. “I feel lucky that I can still meet you. [her husband’s family in north Wales] Tomorrow,” she told the BBC.
According to flight status website Cirium, one flight from Istanbul to Gatwick was delayed by 10 hours. “Some passengers stayed in hotels, while others were stranded at the airport due to the chaos,” Dr. Shyama Junejo told X.
The Japan Meteorological Agency advises drivers to drive safely when driving in fog. Eslick said remaining low-lying clouds should begin to clear by Sunday, and winds are expected to “restore these cloudy and murky conditions and help clear the fog.”
The recent cloudy conditions are unlikely to return in the last few days of the year, but people should not expect too much winter sunshine. “It doesn't look like it's going to be that damp and scary.” [early next week] However, it will still be rainy and windy in many parts of the country,” Eslick said.
