Rare “pink fog” transforms December skies across southeast England

Residents in southeast England were treated to a rare meteorological phenomenon, as a “pink fog” turned the December skies a vivid rose hue. 

The Met Office explained that the effect occurs when sunlight passes through layers of fog, dust, or moisture, scattering blue light and allowing reds and pinks to dominate, Caliber.Az reports via Daily Mail. 

"When the sunlight comes through lots of layers, it filters out the blue and scatters it, leaving the red to come through," said Met Office spokesman Graham Madge. "It’s effectively a sunrise filtered through the atmosphere and through the fog, giving it that pinkish hue."

Social media was flooded with images and videos of the spectacle, with viewers describing the skies as “Barbie-style pink” and “surreal.”

Pink fog is highly dependent on local conditions and is difficult to predict, having been reported only sporadically in the UK and abroad, including British Columbia in Canada and southwestern England in 2019.

The unusual weather coincided with a foggy and frosty start to the day in London and surrounding areas, while the Met Office warned of rain, potential flooding, and travel disruption across parts of Wales and England later in the day.

Meteorologists also noted that the UK is experiencing an unusually energetic jet stream, contributing to warm, wet, and windy conditions since November.

By Sabina Mammadli