Home / Editor's Pick /

A foggy start: How does fog form?

09:45
14 November 2022

A foggy start
How does fog form?

foggy field

It's been a foggy start for many of us this morning, but how does it form and will it affect your commute?

Autumn and winter is the perfect time for fog to develop, especially in periods of high pressure dominated weather, with weaker winds allowing dense fog to settle, even for days at a time.

This morning's fog that is largely dominating the east of the UK formed under a ridge of high pressure, and will likely be quite slow to budge through the morning. You can find out if it's affecting your area on the WeatherRadar.

There are several types of fog that form in different ways, including valley fog, radiation fog and advection fog. To learn more on exactly how and why fog forms, check out our Weather Explained video below:

Because of the many factors involved, forecasting the arrival and exact location of fog is actually quite tricky. If just one aspect of the development is out of sync, fog is unlikely to form. Cloud cover, wind speeds, temperature, moisture levels, and daylight hours all play a role.

A different type of fog can also occur in sub-zero temperatures, this is called freezing fog and will become a more likely occurrence in the depths of winter, rather than autumn. If you capture any atmospheric shots be sure to send them in via our dedicated uploader.

Foggy mornings

Did you know? The BBC's first bulletin 100 years ago today covered a fog warning!

Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Split image showing a night-time UK rain radar map with blue precipitation bands, city temperature markers, and a rain cloud icon on the left, and a star-filled night sky with the Milky Way and a silhouetted telescope on the right, divided by a curved white line.
Sunday, 21 December 2025

Ursid meteor shower

Wish upon a Christmas star
Shooting stars, part of the Geminid meteor shower.
Saturday, 13 December 2025

Spot a shooting star

King of meteor showers at its peak
Dense green forest with tall trees as bright sunlight streams through the canopy, casting long shadows across the leafy ground.
Sunday, 21 December 2025

Winter solstice

Days start getting longer from now!
All weather news
This might also interest you
Split weather map showing UK wind speeds in orange-red shades up to 40 mph on the left and warning levels in green-yellow on the right, with a central wind warning sign.
Wednesday, 22 October 2025

Warnings active

Storm Benjamin impacts the UK
Weather map of the UK and Ireland showing scattered showers with cloudy patches across much of the region, especially around western and northern areas. Sunshine symbols appear over London, Cardiff, and parts of southern England, while temperatures range from 17°C to 18°C in most places. Areas of heavier rain are visible over the Atlantic to the west.
Friday, 29 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Unsettled conditions into the weekend
Wednesday, 27 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Frontal system brings heavy rain
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList