Travellers across a broad sweep of England and Wales woke on Saturday to thick fog after the Met Office issued a fresh yellow warning in the early hours. The warning, issued at 4:11am on 31 October, ran from 4am to 10am and warned that fog, dense in places, could cut visibility to below 100 metres at times.

The forecaster said the fog would slowly thin, lift and clear later in the morning, although in some spots, particularly in rural eastern areas, it might not clear until the afternoon. Slower journey times were expected, with delays possible for bus and train services and for some flights.

Where the warning applies

The warning covered parts of the East Midlands, the East of England, London and the South East, the North West, Wales, the West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber. Named areas included Derby, Leicester, Lincolnshire, Nottingham, Bedford, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, Cheshire, Denbighshire, Powys, Wrexham, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, and much of Yorkshire, including York, Hull and Sheffield's wider region.

The warning followed a similar yellow fog warning that had been in place until 10am on Friday, and it came after a stormy spell that included Storms Austen and Boelo. High pressure settling over the country has since brought lighter winds and calmer conditions, but also the still, clear nights in which fog forms most readily. Drivers were advised to allow extra time, keep a safe distance and check the latest forecast and travel information before setting out, as warnings can change at short notice.