Remarkable photos show ‘surreal’ fog shrouding Severn Bridge

Images appear to show weather phenomenon known as ‘temperature inversion’

Aerial images captured by a National Police Air Service helicopter show the Severn Bridge, which links Wales and England, shrouded in fog, 21 January, 2020. The fog is believed to have been caused by a phenomenon known as temperature inversion. (NPAS South West)

Remarkable aerial photos show “surreal” fog shrouding the Severn Bridge.

The images, captured by a National Police Air Service helicopter on Tuesday morning, show a blanket of fog covering the crossing linking England and Wales.

The fog appears to have been caused by a weather phenomenon known as temperature inversion.

This happens when a layer of air sinks towards the ground, drying and warming as it goes.

This creates a warm layer of air that acts as a “lid” and traps cooler air near the surface, according to the Met Office.

After the pictures were posted by the NPAS South West Twitter account, one motorist responded: “This was surreal, especially driving through it.”

Further images captured by Highways England cameras showed the bridge – which carries the M4 motorway – submerged in mist as the sun rises in the background.

Additional reporting by Press Association