Yorkshire fog warning: routes, timings and travel advice

Drivers and rail passengers across Yorkshire are being urged to prepare for significantly reduced visibility and slower journeys as a new Met Office yellow warning for fog comes into force from Sunday evening into Monday morning.

Warning timings and areas affected across Yorkshire

Publicly available Met Office data shows a yellow fog warning in force from 6pm on Sunday 8 November until 11am on Monday 9 November, covering a wide swathe of England, including Yorkshire and the Humber. The alert follows an earlier overnight warning that affected parts of South Yorkshire and neighbouring counties, where visibility in places fell to below 50 metres.

Regional round‑ups compiled by weather services drawing on Met Office information indicate that the new warning applies across much of the county, from the Sheffield and Doncaster corridor in the south through Leeds and York to parts of North and East Yorkshire. Separate local coverage reports that York and Selby are specifically highlighted within the current alert period, with forecasters warning of “difficult travel conditions and possible delays” during the late evening and morning peak.

The expanded Sunday evening into Monday warning comes after dense patches of fog disrupted early travel on Sunday between midnight and around 10am, particularly around Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster. As temperatures fall again overnight and winds remain light, forecasters expect fog to redevelop and in places become dense, lingering well into the Monday morning commute.

Summary feeds that track Met Office alerts at fifteen‑minute intervals describe the current warning as medium likelihood and low impact, but still emphasise a risk of slower journey times, delays to bus and rail services and a chance of flight disruption where fog persists around airports.

Key motorways and trunk roads where fog could bite

Transport assessments for West and South Yorkshire underline the importance of the region’s motorway network, with the M62, M1, A1 and A1(M) carrying high volumes of commuter and freight traffic into Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and beyond. Strategic road reports prepared for local authorities note that stretches of the M62, M621 and A1(M) regularly experience higher delay levels even in normal conditions, making any loss of visibility particularly significant.

The M62, which crosses the Pennines between Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire before continuing east towards Leeds and Hull, includes exposed high sections where fog can thicken rapidly. Between Rochdale and the Yorkshire border the carriageway climbs to more than 370 metres above sea level before descending towards Huddersfield and Leeds, a section frequently highlighted in winter weather briefings as vulnerable to low cloud and hill fog.

Further east, the A1 and A1(M) corridor through West and North Yorkshire is a major north‑south spine for long‑distance traffic, linking Leeds with Tyneside and the Midlands. Mapping data shows that sections from Darrington northwards past Wetherby and Catterick combine high speeds with relatively open surroundings, conditions where dense fog can sharply reduce reaction times. Parallel local access routes such as the A6055 in North Yorkshire, which runs alongside the A1(M) between junctions 50 and 56, are also expected to share any visibility reductions.

National Highways maintenance schedules indicate that separate overnight works are planned in the coming week on parts of the M62 in West Yorkshire, including westbound stretches between junctions 28 and 27 and between junctions 32 and 31. While these dates fall after the current fog window, drivers are being advised to check for any short‑notice changes or additional restrictions, as diversions onto parallel A‑roads could coincide with lingering patches of fog in low‑lying areas.

Local hot spots: cities, valleys and high ground

Local weather coverage points to several recurring fog hot spots within Yorkshire. Low‑lying areas around the Rivers Aire, Calder, Don and Ouse, including parts of Leeds, Wakefield, Doncaster and York, are prone to dense river fog when skies clear overnight and air temperatures drop. Photographs published on regional news sites on Sunday morning showed thick fog enveloping the River Ouse in York, underlining how quickly visibility can deteriorate near waterways.

South Yorkshire’s urban corridor around Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster experienced the brunt of the early‑morning fog on Sunday under the previous warning window. Reports from local outlets noted visibility below 50 metres in some districts, with the fog only starting to lift towards mid‑morning. With another warning now overlapping the late‑night and rush‑hour period, commuters using the M1, A630, A57 and surrounding local routes are being encouraged to allow extra time.

Higher ground across the Pennine fringes and the Yorkshire Dales can also see a different set of hazards as fog forms or low cloud settles on hills. Mountain and upland forecasts for the Dales and North Pennines frequently flag periods of extensive hill fog around dawn, sometimes persisting above the valleys even after lower‑level mist begins to break. For those travelling over moorland A‑roads or using rural routes to reach walking areas, that pattern means clear conditions in towns can quickly give way to very poor visibility on summit sections.

Public information from regional resilience forums in Yorkshire highlights fog as one of several weather risks that can disrupt road networks alongside snow, ice, heavy rain and high winds. Community preparedness material encourages residents to plan routes carefully during severe weather periods and to consider postponing non‑essential journeys when official warnings are in place.

Advice for drivers, rail users and air passengers

Guidance drawn from the Met Office, National Highways and local resilience campaigns shares consistent messages for travel during fog. Motorists are urged to slow down, increase the distance to the vehicle in front and use dipped headlights so that lights do not reflect off the fog. Fog lights should be turned on when visibility drops below about 100 metres and switched off again once conditions improve, to avoid dazzling other road users.

Before setting off, drivers are advised to clear all windows and mirrors, check that wipers and lights are working correctly and remove any snow or moisture that could refreeze around dusk or dawn. Public safety material for West Yorkshire also recommends keeping fuel or battery charge topped up, carrying warm clothing, a charged phone and a torch, particularly for longer motorway journeys where delays are more likely.

For rail passengers, the current yellow warning notes the possibility of slower services where signalling systems or line‑side operations are affected by reduced visibility. While operators have not issued widespread disruption notices for the present period, journey planners are advising passengers to check timetables and live service updates on the morning of travel, especially on routes crossing fog‑prone river valleys.

Airports serving Yorkshire and nearby regions, including Leeds Bradford, Doncaster Sheffield’s wider catchment and Manchester to the west, can be vulnerable to fog‑related disruption when cloud sinks to runway level. The latest warning language refers to a chance of delays or cancellations to flights overnight and into Monday morning. Travellers are being encouraged to monitor airline apps and airport departure boards closely and to allow additional time for surface access in case surrounding roads are affected.

Planning journeys while the yellow warning is in force

Travel advice services that summarise Met Office alerts stress that yellow warnings are intended as an early heads‑up rather than a sign to stop all movement. The emphasis is on checking conditions before departure, allowing extra time and adjusting plans where necessary. For many commuters across Yorkshire the impact may be limited to slower‑than‑usual driving speeds and reduced visibility on familiar routes.

Journey planners suggest that those with flexibility could consider travelling outside the core risk period highlighted by the current warning, particularly the early‑morning peak between around 7am and 10am on Monday when fog is most likely to linger in low‑lying areas. Where possible, remote meetings or altered shift times may help reduce pressure on the busiest routes.

Given that severe weather warnings can change at short notice, forecasters and transport agencies alike recommend keeping an eye on updated forecasts through Sunday evening and first thing on Monday. If the fog thickens or persists longer than expected, further advisory messages may follow. Conversely, if clearer air arrives more quickly, the warning area or timing could be trimmed.

For now, the key message for anyone travelling in or through Yorkshire is to be alert to the likelihood of patchy but potentially dense fog on key routes from Sunday evening into late Monday morning, to plan journeys cautiously and to be prepared for journeys to take longer than usual.