Fog continues to disrupt transport across the UK

BRITAIN’S transport network was brought to a halt yesterday as thick fog blanketed much of the country for a second day.

Aeroplanes sit on the apron at Heathrow. A number of flights have been delayed or cancelled due to fog. Picture: PA

Flights, particularly to and from London, were badly affected while early morning drivers in Scotland were forced to travel slowly due to poor visibility in parts of the country.

The Forth Road Bridge was shrouded in fog early yesterday, while Edinburgh Castle was also barely visible as the sun came up. A speed restriction was put on the Forth Road Bridge as commuters began their morning journey.

However, it was London and the English south-east which were worst hit as the Met Office issued a severe weather warning for fog for most of yesterday.

After reporting that the fog had lifted in the early morning, Traffic Scotland tweeted next to a picture of a foggy Firth of Forth around noon: “I spoke too soon...fog is back. If anyone locates #FRB (Forth Road Bridge) or #ForthBridge please return asap. Thanks in advance!”

Peter Grant, MP for Glenrothes, added on the social media site: “M90 moving at the speed of a car park. Flight cancelled. ETA London sometime today. I love Mondays.”

Many flights between London and Scotland were cancelled or heavily delayed. A total of 45 flights from Heathrow, which is a major hub for Scottish travellers, were cancelled.

Flights to London City and Amsterdam were cancelled from Edinburgh Airport and others were severely delayed, while Glasgow Airport faced similar problems.

Some Edinburgh flights were affected by the fog. Picture: PA

A statement from Glasgow Airport said: “Due to fog elsewhere, some of our flights are delayed or cancelled this morning.”

There was disruption at Manchester and Liverpool John Lennon airports, with flights to Edinburgh among a list of cancelled services from the area, which also included Amsterdam and Southampton.

Although the fog cleared yesterday afternoon, weather forecasters said they expected it to return today, especially in the early morning.

“Much of the UK will be dry but with mist, fog and low cloud persisting throughout the day,” said a spokesman for Meteogroup.