UK weather: Freezing fog cancels more than 80 flights as temperatures plunge to -9.7C

Freezing fog has led to the cancellation of dozens of flights, with temperatures plunging as low as 9.7C.

At least 85 British Airways flights were grounded on Monday as the “flow rate” of arrivals was reduced because of fog at the UK’s busiest airport. Drivers have also been told to beware of difficult conditions that could cause delays on the roads.

Earlier the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for fog for parts of London and South East England following another night of freezing cold temperatures, though that has now expired.

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Temperatures are expected to drop below freezing again on Monday night, though as the week goes on milder conditions will start to prevail. The mercury should creep up to 10C in parts of Scotland by the weekend, and 9C in Northern Ireland.

Temperatures dropped as low as -9.5C in Santon Downham, Suffolk overnight while -8.4C was recorded at Heathrow, west London. It was the coldest temperature recorded there since 1987 when the mercury dropped to -9.1C, the Met said.

London Fire Brigade told people to be careful when using an open fire to stay warm.

It tweeted: “Don’t risk using treated wood on fires. Not only can they produce toxic fumes, but they are also more likely to spit embers when burnt, which could set alight to nearby objects.”

More than 14,000 passengers with British Airways and other airlines faced cancellations as flights from Heathrow airport were grounded due to freezing fog.

Links with Amsterdam, Edinburgh, Frankfurt, Geneva, Milan Malpensa, Paris CDG and Stockholm are seeing multiple cancellations. One long-haul departure, to Miami, was grounded due to the adverse weather conditions.

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“What a contrast this morning,” the Met Office said in a tweet on Monday. “Stepping out of the door across the NW of the UK and you can ditch the gloves…though ice scrapers at the ready in the southeast.

Going into Monday evening, forecasters said there would be a mixture of conditions with mostly clear skies in the south but heavy cloud further north. There will be light showers and drizzle especially in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Tuesday was forecast to start with dense fog across large parts of England. This fog will persist across eastern and northern parts for most of the day.

Elsewhere, there will be dry and sunny spells in the southwest and possible patches of light showers or drizzle in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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Monday:

Frosty start across central and southern England, with freezing fog patches, persisting throughout in a few places, else sunny spells developing. The odd shower far southeast, whilst cloudier and milder across west and north with some drizzle in the west.

Frosty with freezing fog reforming across central and southern England and east Wales. Cloudier far southeast, and also in northwestern areas with some light rain or drizzle.

Cloud and occasional rain in the northwest. Bright and very mild in the northeast. Fog patches slow to clear over central and southern areas, else dry with some sunshine.

Fog patches in the south early Wednesday with rain moving south later, sunny spells following this. Most places dry Thursday and Friday with sunny spells, rain in the northwest later.