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Gallery|Climate Crisis

Fog blankets large parts of Asia and Europe

Low visibility causes cancellations of trains and flights in Asia and Europe affecting millions of people.

December Fog
Thick fog obscures the view in Strauburg, Germany. [Armin Weigel/EPA]
Published On 12 Dec 201612 Dec 2016
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Over the past few days thick fog has settled across many parts of the northern hemisphere.

Fog has caused major disruption to transport, bringing traffic to a standstill and causing major disruption at airports.

In China, more than 100 flights were cancelled at Chengdu airport and as visibility dropped below 30 metres, authorities closed a number of motorways.

Meanwhile in India, trains have been severely delayed, leaving numerous passengers stranded.

Fog often forms at this time of year because the weather in the northern hemisphere is cooling down.

Warm air can contain more moisture than cool air can, so as the air cools, the air becomes saturated. The excess moisture in the air condenses to forms tiny droplets.

If the winds are very light, then these droplets will hover near the ground, forming fog. Any wind will lift the fog into low cloud.

During the day, the sun tries to burn through the fog, its heat causing the water droplets to evaporate.

However, at this time of year, the sun is often weak and the fog can be very dense. Therefore it can linger throughout the day.

December Fog
Fog has caused major problems in some parts of the northern hemisphere, including northern India. [Narinder Nanu/AFP]
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December Fog
A number of trains have been cancelled or suspended, which has left many passengers stranded. [Narinder Nanu/AFP]
December Fog
In New Delhi, people picked their way through the fog, taking care to avoid camels and elephants. [Money Sharma/AFP]
December Fog
The football game in Srinagar continued despite the murky conditions. [Tauseef Mustafa/AFP] [AFP]
December Fog
Fog has also disrupted traffic in Lahore, Pakistan. [Arif Ali/AFP]
December Fog
The Nagarkot Valley in Nepal is hidden under a blanket of fog. [Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters]
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December Fog
In China the low visibility forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights. [Ryan Tong/EPA]
December Fog
The fog in Irxleben, Germany, slowly clears. [Sean Gallup/Getty]
December Fog
Pheasants hide in the fog in Lincolnshire, England. [Dan Kitwood/Getty]


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