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
Map of Europe showing low pressure over Russia and a strong cold air flow towards Eastern Europe. Significant drop in temperatures across large parts of the east.
Thursday 11 December 2025

Frost and snowfall

Cold air intrusion in Eastern Europe
Temperature map showing maximum values at the beginning of next week and wind radar showing a storm system over the Atlantic that is directing mild air towards Europe
Thursday 4 December 2025

Gusty in the UK & Ireland

Storms will soon bring spring air
The image shows the ruins of a house on the left and the weather radar with thunderstorms over Sumatra on the right.
Wednesday 3 December 2025

Heavy monsoon rain

Flood disaster on Sumatra
All weather news
This might also interest you
Split weather map showing the UK and Ireland. The left side illustrates strong winds circulating around a low-pressure system, with gusts of 20–30 mph highlighted in orange and yellow. The right side shows radar imagery with widespread blue rain bands and patches of thunderstorms, especially over northern England and Scotland.
Thursday 28 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Remaining widely unsettled
Friday 22 August 2025

Breakfast brief

Sunny start for some, overcast later
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
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

facebooktwitteryouTubelinkList