Motorists are being warned to take extra care on roads in and around Brisbane this morning and flights are being diverted or delayed, as the region wakes under a thick blanket of fog.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a road weather alert, warning that visibility in some places is down to just a few metres, making for dangerous driving conditions.
At least one flight has been diverted away from Brisbane Airport due to the fog, with a number of others facing delays.
Qantas flight QF016 from Los Angeles was due to land at Brisbane International at 5am, but was instead diverted to the Gold Coast, where it landed at 5:45am.
Meanwhile, Qantas Flight QFA98 from Manila to Brisbane has been diverted to Sydney.
As of 6.45am, a total of three inbound flights to Brisbane have been diverted, while several other inbound flights have landed safely.
Radar images show Qantas flight QFA52 from Singapore to Brisbane appeared to make a landing attempt before being put into a holding pattern above North Stradbroke Island.
International flights including Emirates Flight EK434 from Dubai and Jetstar Airways Flight JQ010 from Tokyo are set to have a delayed arrival, while for domestic flights, the arrival of Jetstar Airways Flight JQ965 from Perth is also delayed.
Brisbane Airport spokesman Peter Doherty said it is primarily arriving flights that are being impacted.
“Brisbane Airport is currently experiencing thick fog across the precinct,” he said.
“While conditions have not impacted departing flights, there has been one diversion with a flight from Los Angeles heading to the Gold Coast.
“We continue to monitor conditions closely.”
The heavy fog developed in Brisbane about 2am and was enabled by favourable conditions including moisture from recent showers, clear skies, and light winds.
BOM Senior Meteorologist Ilana Cherny said while fog usually occurs at this time of year, this morning’s fog is particularly thick.
“We have seen quite a blanket of fog roll over Brisbane this morning, especially at the airport,” she said.
“It looks like it started to come in around 2am and has been lingering ever since.
“We don’t get a thick fog around Brisbane too often, but it look as as though we’ve got all the conditions that are favourable to that fog development.”
Ms Cherny urged motorists to take care while driving.
“It’s really important to take care while these tricky driving conditions are impacting people as they start their day,” she said.
The fog is expected to persist for several hours, before it eases later on Thursday morning.
Originally published as Qld weather: Fog blankets Brisbane, causing dangerous driving conditions