FREEZING FOG
DENSE FOG AND BIG CHILL DESCENDS ON REGION
HAIL could replace fog in a week of extremes for Geelong and the Surf Coast after a spectacular mist shrouded the region and had some parts experiencing their coldest day in five years.
The mercury dipped to as low as -0.3C yesterday at Avalon Airport, where visibility as low as 100m at times caused havoc and forced the cancellation of four departures and four arrivals.
It followed one cancellation on Wednesday, with the fog set in as early as 7pm, and lingered for almost 18 hours as the region shivered.
Parts of the region experienced their coldest morning of 2018 yesterday, while the 0.5C minimum at Geelong Racecourse made it the coldest June morning in five years.
It did not improve much as the day went on as the temperature reached 8.9, the lowest recorded June maximum since 1993.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Chris Godfred said dry northerly winds would replace the calm, cool and moist conditions that brought the fog, a result of a large high pressure system moving into the Tasman Sea and an approaching cold front.
“In general terms, you basically get fog forming when you get overnight conditions that are calm and clear, but you also have enough humidity near the ground that as it gets cooler and cooler it gets to a point where it starts to condense,” Mr Godfred said.
“I guess you could liken a fog to a cloud that forms right on the ground.”
He said June was typically the peak month for widespread fog in the Melbourne basin, and the phenomenon historically became less prevalent as the later winter months brought prevailing westerly winds.
“Fogs can happen at any time of year but they’re most likely in that period from late April up to the end of June,” Mr Godfred said.
Flights from Avalon Airport resumed at 3.45pm yesterday as scheduled, but a chance of fog remained this morning for nervous passengers.
Northerly winds up to 30km/h are forecast to affect Geelong and the Surf Coast on a cloudy day today.
Tomorrow could bring showers and possibly hail in the wake of a cold front as gusty winds up to 35km/h turn to the west.