![]() Wheezing pedestrians groped their way around the city’s neighborhoods and tried not to slip on the greasy black ooze that coated sidewalks. Many found the effort futile and simply abandoned their cars.Ĭonductors holding flashlights walked in front of London’s iconic double-decker buses to guide drivers down city streets. ![]() Even during the middle of the day, drivers turned on their headlights and hanged their heads out car windows to inch ahead through the thick gloom. Flights were grounded and trains cancelled. For five days, the Great Smog paralyzed London and crippled all transportation, except for the London Underground train system.īecause of poor visibility, boat traffic on the River Thames came to a halt. The smog was so dense that residents in some sections of the city were unable to see their feet as they walked. The noxious, 30-mile-wide air mass, teeming with acrid sulfur particles, reeked like rotten eggs-and it was getting worse every day. The temperature inversion prevented London’s sulfurous coal smoke from rising, and with nary a breeze to be found, there was no wind to disperse the soot-laden smog. London Fog Becomes London Smogįog, combined with smoke to produce smog, was nothing new in London, but this particular “pea souper” quickly thickened into a poisonous stew unlike anything the city had ever experienced.Ī high-pressure weather system had stalled over southern England and caused a temperature inversion, in which a layer of warm air high above the surface trapped the stagnant, cold air at ground level. But within a day, it became impossible to ignore the unfolding crisis. Nonetheless, Londoners went about their business with typical British reserve, ignoring the foul air as much as possible. Smoky, diesel-fueled buses had recently replaced the city’s electric tram system, adding to the toxic brew. Within a few hours, however, the fog began to turn a sickly shade of yellowish brown as it mixed with thousands of tons of soot pumped into the air by London’s factory smokestacks, chimneys and automobiles. Paul’s Cathedral, London Bridge and other city landmarks. A wintry cold snap had gripped the British capital for weeks, and as Londoners awoke, coal fireplaces were stoked in homes and businesses across the city to take the chill from the early morning air.Īs the day progressed, a veil of fog-not unusual in a city famous for its cool, misty weather-began to enshroud Big Ben, St. Status Yellow ice and low temperature warnings are in place for the whole country.Clear skies dawned over London on December 5, 1952. Bitterly cold with lowest temperatures of -5 to -2 degrees in a light northerly breeze. There will be some wintry showers of sleet and snow, mainly across east Leinster with some lying snow possible. Tonight, treacherous conditions are forecast with a severe frost setting in quickly after dark along with some icy stretches. However, after-dark showers of sleet and snow will move into parts of the east with highest temperatures of just 1 to 5 degrees, in light northerly or variable breezes. Sunny spells will follow, as wintry showers become confined to northern coastal counties. ![]() Latest environmental and climate change news in County WaterfordĪn icy start is expected today (December 8) with black ice and patches of freezing fog leading to hazardous travel conditions.Īccording to Met Éireann, well scattered showers will continue to sink southwards this morning, turning wintry in parts with a light dusting of snow on some lower levels. Waterford Live Met Eireann Weather Forecast ![]() ![]() Find the latest Waterford news, sport, business, death notices, entertainment and more.Don't miss any of the breaking news in Waterford updated throughout the day. ![]()
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