Pink fog turns UK skies rose-colored in rare weather event

Pink fog descended over parts of the United Kingdom on Wednesday morning, turning December skies a brilliant rose color and leaving residents puzzled. The fleeting display appeared across the southeast and prompted social media clips of dawn light glowing in pink against roads and rooftops.

Met Office officials said the pink hue forms when sunlight passes through fine particles such as dust or moisture in the air. "When the sunlight comes through lots of layers, it filters out the blue and scatters it, leaving the red to come through," Met Office spokesman Graham Madge said. "It’s effectively a sunrise filtered through the atmosphere and through the fog, giving it that pinkish hue." Observers in west London, Hertfordshire, and other parts of the southeast reported the glow, with posts describing the color as striking and unusual. Pink fog depends on local conditions and can be easy to miss.

Pink fog is a rare but documented phenomenon in Britain. In February 2019, a pink-tinged fog covered parts of England’s southwest, including Somerset and Shropshire. A January morning in British Columbia, Canada, was also described as a surreal pink fog event lasting roughly 10 to 15 minutes as sunlight filtered through fog layers, according to CBC.

Experts emphasize that pink fog is an optical effect rather than a sign of unusual weather. The pink tint results from the sun being low on the horizon, causing shorter blue wavelengths to scatter more than reds and pinks as light passes through fog. It does not indicate a specific weather hazard beyond the usual risks associated with fog, such as reduced visibility. Madge noted the phenomenon is tied to highly local conditions and can be missed entirely if observers are not in the right place at the right time.

Forecasts for London and the southeast on Wednesday described a foggy and frosty start, with winds expected to freshen and cloud cover increasing through the morning. The Met Office said rain could arrive later in the day, with the odds of rain continuing into the evening and the potential for travel disruption. Heavier rain was anticipated on higher ground, and the agency warned of possible flooding in parts of south Wales and across southwestern, central, and eastern England.

Beyond today’s pink spectacle, forecasters have noted a stretch of unusually warm weather ahead of Christmas. Some parts of Britain have seen temperatures rise to as high as 15°C (59°F), while overnight freezes have been scarce. Jim Dale, a senior meteorologist at British Weather Services and co-author of Surviving Extreme Weather, attributed the warmth to an unusually energetic jet stream that has persisted over the UK since November, driving warm, wet, and windy systems northward. The jet stream’s position and strength have kept weather patterns unsettled in the run-up to the holidays.

While pink fog captures public imagination, scientists caution that it remains a transient optical effect tied to exact atmospheric conditions. It offers striking visuals for photographers and morning walkers, but it does not herald broader climate changes or anomalies. In the near term, the focus for many Britons will be a mix of dense morning fog, frost in some regions, and periodic rain as systems move across the country.