{
  "id": 17186616,
  "title": "Hazardous driving conditions for Friday as fog warning issued by Met Office",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/hazardous-driving-conditions-for-friday-as-fog-warning-issued-by-met",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-30T06:18:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "BBC Science",
    "slug": "bbc-science",
    "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/c6ly075l742ro?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Friday morning, thick fog engulfed parts of the United Kingdom, potentially leading to hazardous driving conditions. The Met Office issued a yellow severe weather warning for fog, covering Lincolnshire, the East Midlands, the Home Counties, and parts of Greater London. The fog was dense in some areas, with visibility dropping below 100 meters, and the most extensive disruption occurred during the morning rush hour. The fog was expected to gradually dissipate, but in some rural regions of eastern England, it may linger until the following afternoon. Early morning mist and fog patches on Saturday could transform into low cloud, potentially lingering throughout the day. While many areas would experience some sunshine, the exception would be north-west Scotland, where a weak weather front would bring thicker cloud and rain. Temperatures would be close to average, similar to recent days. By Sunday, the weather front would bring some thicker cloud to Wales and central England, with a slight chance of light rain or drizzle, but the rest of the UK would remain dry. High pressure was building and was set to dominate the UK for the coming days, marking a stark contrast to the stormy weather experienced last week due to a powerful Atlantic jet stream. Despite the recent storms providing short-term hydrological benefits, 82% of England remained in drought status according to the Environment Agency. The high pressure system was expected to persist over or near the UK for at least ten days, as a diffluent blocking pattern formed in the Atlantic jet stream across the UK and western Europe. This would prevent weather systems from reaching the UK, leading to mostly dry weather, though some patches of low cloud and drizzle might remain due to early morning mist and fog. Rainfall amounts would be negligible, and while the short-term lack of rainfall could raise concerns about drought and low water levels in England's reservoirs, the Met Office forecasted that 20% more rain than average would be needed over the next six months to end the drought. Philip Duffy, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, emphasized that the recent rain was welcome, but the drought was not over. Sustained rainfall would be necessary to recover rivers, reservoirs, and groundwater, and the effects on nature could last much longer. El Niño has been associated with wetter and stormier weather in late autumn and early winter, with the Met Office forecasting a double chance of it being wetter than normal in the coming three months.",
  "summary": "Foggy conditions likely to bring tricky conditions for the Friday morning commute as severe weather warning issued.",
  "key_points": [
    "Thick fog blankets parts of UK on Friday morning",
    "Met Office issues yellow fog warning for Lincolnshire, East Midlands, Home Counties, Greater London",
    "Fog visibility drops below 100 meters, disrupting morning rush hour"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}