Just as the clouds clear and the sun begins to shine on the east coast, motorists, in particular, are facing a new weather worry. Thick fog could descend across vast east coast and inland tracts as the rain event clears, and the sun begins to shine. “There may be some areas of the state that will see some fog, so be mindful that you may not be able to see those hazardous conditions on the roads into the weekend,” the Bureau of Meteorology’s (BOM) Agata Imielska said today.
The coming days could provide the ideal weather conditions for fog formation as the rain front heads off into the Tasman. It’s left masses of moisture in the wake. With fewer clouds to keep things warmer overnight, the air can drop to what is known as “dew point temperature”. This is the temperature at which condensation occurs.
At this point, all that water vapor turns into tiny water droplets that hang in the air, forming fog. It’s the same process by which clouds are included, but it occurs at the surface.
Fog most commonly builds at night and stays around until it burns off through the morning as the mercury rises. What’s striking about the possible fog for the coming days is just how wide it could stretch. Essentially, that’s as far as the rain event has tested.
So anywhere from southeast Queensland to far south New South Wales and beyond could see a foggy start to the coming days. A meteorologist at the BOM, Helen Reid, told news.com.au areas including Sydney’s west, the mid-north coast, and south coast could see fog. However, with rain lingering on the western slopes, that area may escape the mist.
“The fog is set to be extensive; quite the blanket. That’s not to say everyone will see it, but it should be widespread.” She warned motorists to be extra careful as the fog was set to be more like a thick covering than patchy. It could mean the entire journey to work is shrouded in the cloud.
