Fog could linger until midday in parts of Melbourne
Melburnians have noticed a thick layer of fog over the city, which is expected to linger for hours before clearing.
Bureau meteorologist Daniel Sherwin-Simpson said parts of regional Victoria had experienced such dense fog last week that it was now Melbourne’s turn.
“We’re seeing this in some of the inner west suburbs, so somewhere like Laverton, possibly going all the way to Werribee,” he said.
Melbourne Airport confirmed fog caused a flight from Bali to be diverted. Other flights take off and land normally.
“What we see today is what we call radiation fog. As we move into the night, the atmosphere cools and radiates heat into space and the air cools. So, while the humidity in the atmosphere does not change, the temperature drops and we see the humidity approaching 100 percent. That’s when the fog starts to form,” he said.
Sherwin-Simpson said Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs, including Moorabbin and St Kilda, were likely to remain in fog until midday.
High cloud cover in the north-eastern suburbs over the Yarra and other major rivers will help fog clear sooner.
“Maybe it could start moving forward in the next two to three hours,” he said. “As you look southwards the fog will continue and we may even see it lingering a bit longer over Port Phillip Bay.”
The bureau is also warning drivers in Melbourne that fog will make driving more dangerous.
“Slow down and drive carefully,” the bureau said in an alert Thursday morning. “Leave more space between you and the vehicle in front. It takes longer to stop on wet, slippery roads.”
Melbourne had its coldest day of the year on Tuesday, while Mount Hotham had its warmest July day ever.
The bureau attributed this to a “temperature reversal” in the atmosphere.
