"Dense fog" has caused huge issues in Leeds on Monday.
Residents across every corner of the city were enveloped in a thick fog which began at dawn and lasted all day, making visibility poor and prompting warnings to drivers on roadside signs. Parts of Leeds as far and wide as the city centre, Horsforth, Woodlesford, Morley and Pudsey were all battling the fog on Monday.
Numerous flights continue to be diverted away from Leeds Bradford Airport, Yeadon, due to poor visibility brought about by the foggy conditions. One local resident told Leeds Live that he noticed an "all consuming" and "surreal" fog during a drive to nearby Birstall today.
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But what is fog and what conditions need to be in place in order for it to form? According to the Met Office, fog is essentially a cloud at ground level that causes reduced visibility of less than 1000 metres.
Severe disruption to transport occurs when visibility drops below 50 metres over a wide area, the forecaster says. This is referred to as a dense fog.
It is caused by tiny water droplets suspended in the air, but a number of different weather conditions need to be in place for fog to form. According to the Met Office, these are light winds, moisture and a certain temperature known as the 'fog point'.
Winds need to be gentle enough in order to keep the moisture in the air at the right concentration. Wind speeds in Leeds have not topped three miles per hour today (Mon), perhaps explaining why the fog has remained a problem.
There has also been high humidity in Leeds (above 87 per cent), meaning high levels of water vapour have remained in the air. Generally, if there is a high level of moisture in the air, the temperature will not have to fall as low as usual to reach the 'fog point'. Nevertheless, it has been a chilly 6C in the city throughout Monday.
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