Britons wake up to pink fog as rare weather phenomenon blankets parts of the UK

The unusual fog was reported in areas including Oxfordshire and London, where low-lying fog combined with early sunlight to tint the skies pink.

The effect occurs when sunlight passes through moisture or particles in the air, scattering shorter blue and green wavelengths and allowing red light to dominate.

Graham Madge, a spokesman for the Met Office, explained: “When sunlight comes through multiple layers of atmosphere, it filters out the blue light and scatters it, leaving the red to pass through.

“It’s effectively a sunrise filtered through the atmosphere and fog, which gives it that distinctive pinkish hue. Whether it happens depends very much on local conditions.”

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Thousands of passengers have already faced disruption, with seven flights to and from London City Airport cancelled.

The airport’s runway sits just 19ft above sea level beside the River Thames and is particularly vulnerable to poor visibility.

Flights arriving at Southampton Airport have also been heavily delayed due to fog.

The unsettled conditions are being driven by a series of low-pressure systems moving across the UK, bringing persistent rain, fog and heavy showers.

Forecasters warned that travel conditions could remain difficult, particularly across the East Midlands and Cambridgeshire.

The striking scenes came as the Met Office warned that fog and heavy rain could cause flooding and widespread travel disruption across parts of the UK.

South Wales and south-western, central and eastern England are among the areas expected to be affected on Wednesday.

Forecasters warned of flooding from fast-flowing rivers, with a potential "danger to life" in some locations.

Homes and businesses in the south-west of England are at risk, alongside possible disruption to train and bus services.

A yellow weather warning for rain is in force from 10am until midnight on Wednesday across south-west England and southern Wales.

Between 40mm and 60mm of rain could fall in parts of Dartmoor and the hills of South Wales.

The Met Office said: "A period of rain, heavy at times, especially over high ground, will move slowly eastwards during Wednesday. Coming after a spell of very wet weather, flooding and travel disruption are likely across much of the warning area.”

Residents have been urged to check whether their properties are at risk and to prepare flood plans and emergency kits where necessary.

Yellow rain warnings will remain in place on Thursday for southern England and southern Wales, with further alerts issued for the south and south-east amid continued flood risks. All warnings are expected to clear by 9pm.