Updated: 3 December 2025, 05:00 GMT
Written by Swikblog Weather Desk
The UK faces a complicated mix of weather hazards today, Wednesday 3 December 2025, with dense fog affecting road and air travel in parts of England while river levels remain high enough to trigger flood warnings in Yorkshire and surrounding areas. Unsettled conditions continue nationwide, although air pollution levels are expected to stay low.
Yellow fog warning in force this morning
The Met Office has issued a Yellow Warning for fog across central and eastern parts of England. According to the official warning, the alert is in force from 04:06 UTC until 09:45 UTC on 3 December 2025.
Fog patches are described as dense in places and mainly in rural areas, with visibility dropping sharply on untreated roads and open stretches of motorway. Areas within the warning zone include parts of the Midlands, Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, with the shaded area also covering corridors near Birmingham, Nottingham and towards Yorkshire.
What travellers should expect
- Slower journey times with delays to bus and train services.
- Poor visibility on rural routes and some motorways, especially around daybreak.
- Potential delays or cancellations to flights where fog is slow to clear.
Drivers are being urged to use fog lights where appropriate, allow extra braking distance and avoid sudden manoeuvres. Those with early flights are advised to check with their airline or airport before leaving home. More detailed warning information is available via the Met Office UK weather warnings service.
The fog is expected to gradually lift through the morning, leaving many central and eastern areas mostly dry with sunny spells once visibility improves.
Today’s UK weather overview
Away from the fog, the broader UK forecast points to another unsettled early-winter day. Scattered showers are expected to develop in the west, across the far north of Scotland and across some southernmost counties of England. In between, many regions will see a mix of cloud and brighter intervals, with temperatures close to the seasonal average and a fresh breeze at times in the north and west.
On the Met Office air-quality map, most of the UK is shaded green, indicating Low air pollution levels for Wednesday. A band of rain moving eastwards on Thursday is expected to keep the pollution risk low into tomorrow as well.
Multiple flood warnings in force: rivers running high
While fog is creating problems on the roads, the more serious hazard for some communities is flooding. Environment Agency data show nine flood warnings currently in force, where flooding is expected rather than just possible. These warnings are concentrated around key river systems in Yorkshire and the North of England.
Highlighted locations include:
- Holderness Drain and Leven Drain at Leven
- Holderness Drain in Leven village
- Holderness Drain at Wawne Common and Woody Carr
- River Derwent at Buttercrambe Mill
- River Derwent at Stamford Bridge – The Weir Caravan Park and Kexby Bridge
- River Ouse at York – riverside properties
- Keswick Campsite
Each of these warnings has been updated around 23:53 on 2 December 2025. The messaging is clear: high river levels are expected to cause flooding this evening, today (2 December) and tomorrow, Wednesday 3 December 2025. Low-lying land, riverside footpaths, access roads and some properties near the rivers are all at risk of floodwater.
Holderness Drain: pumps in operation
In East Yorkshire, the Holderness Drain catchment remains under particularly close watch. Official figures show the following levels at key pumping stations:
- Tickton Pumping Station: recent level around −0.40 metres, with property flooding considered possible when levels rise above this threshold.
- Bransholme Great Culvert Pumping Station: recent level around −0.49 metres, with property flooding possible when water levels exceed −0.70 metres.
The Environment Agency says pumps are already in operation in the area and that the situation is being monitored closely. Residents are being urged to keep up to date with the latest information via the official Check for flooding service.
River Derwent, River Ouse and Keswick
On the River Derwent, warnings for Buttercrambe Mill and for Stamford Bridge – including The Weir Caravan Park and Kexby Bridge highlight the risk to riverside footpaths, access roads and caravan sites as water levels remain elevated.
In York, properties close to the River Ouse are under a separate warning for riverside flooding, while at Keswick Campsite in Cumbria, high river levels are expected to affect low-lying ground and camping areas.
Staying safe: advice for residents and travellers
Authorities are asking people in affected areas to:
- Avoid walking, cycling or driving through floodwater, which can be deeper and faster-moving than it appears.
- Move vehicles and valuables to higher ground if flooding is expected.
- Prepare a basic flood plan and keep important documents and medication readily accessible.
- Check on neighbours, especially those who are elderly or vulnerable.
Drivers in the fog-affected zones should slow down, leave extra space between vehicles and be prepared for sudden pockets of very poor visibility, especially around fields and open countryside.
Outlook: more rain to come
Looking ahead, a band of rain is forecast to move eastwards across the UK on Thursday, keeping conditions unsettled. With the ground already saturated in many northern areas, any further heavy rain could prolong or renew existing flood concerns, particularly along sensitive river catchments.
For readers interested in how severe weather is playing out elsewhere, you can also see how heavy rain and thunderstorms have recently affected New Zealand in our in-depth piece on Auckland’s latest weather and flooding risk.
The Swikblog Weather Desk will continue to monitor updates from the Met Office and Environment Agency as conditions evolve.
