http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2006-12-12T094420Z_01_PEK344079_RTRUKOC_0_US-CHINA-FOG.xml&WTmodLoc=SciNewsHome_C2_scienceNews-8
Dense fog in China disrupts highway, air travel
BEIJING (Reuters) - Dec 12, 2006
Heavy fog blanketed Beijing, Shanghai and other parts of north and east-central China for a second day on Tuesday, worsening air pollution in the capital and disrupting air and highway travel across the region.
The Binhai international airport in the coastal city Tianjin, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Beijing, was closed as were parts of eight highways after fog covered the area beginning late on Monday, the Xinhua news agency said.
"This is the heaviest and longest-lasting fog that has affected Tianjin's airports this winter," it quoted an official at the Binhai international airport as saying.
Visibility was reduced to less than 50 meters (165 feet) in central Tianjin and at the airport, the agency said, adding that more than 40 flights had been delayed.
In Beijing, 16 flights were delayed and nine canceled due to low visibility at Beijing Capital International Airport, it added.
Fog stretched across northern Hebei province, the northeastern province of Liaoning and the central province of Henan, causing traffic jams in the area and forcing authorities to shut down parts of major highway, Xinhua said.
Residents in Shanghai also reported fog had greatly restricted visibility, but flights there were not affected.
Beijing's pollution index reached "hazardous" levels on Tuesday, with Monday's level just one notch below, making it the most polluted day so far this month, the Xinhua report said, citing the Beijing Environmental Protection Monitoring Center.
The center had advised people to limit outdoor activity as much as possible and asked factories to reduce emissions, according to Xinhua.
The fog in Tianjin was expected to ease slightly later in the day, the agency said.
http://www.sabcnews.com/world/europe/0,2172,140592,00.html
Flights cancelled due to heavy fog - London
December 21, 2006
Due to heavy fog, the Heathrow Airport in London was forced to cancel 160 of its 400 short-haul flights yesterday, British Airways (BA) said. This is expected to linger for another two days.
"It's thick fog and it is causing lots of problems," a spokesperson said. "There are likely to be severe delays and possibly cancellations to many BA shorthaul and domestic services to and from London Heathrow for at least the next 48 hours."
In Gatwick Airport, London, 18 flights were also cancelled. Domestic Routes and flights between Heathrow and Europe were the worst hit, while BA said despite lengthy delays it had managed to operate its longhaul schedule.
All carriers have been affected
"Flow rates have been at 50% of normal capacity throughout the morning and this has affected all carriers at the airport," BA said in a statement.
Thousands of people face further delays as the bad weather forced the cancellation of scores of flights. BA has blamed fog for its decision to ground all UK domestic services and a significant number of European routes.
"Customers who were due to travel on any cancelled service are able to rebook, re-route their ticket (subject to availability) or claim a full refund," BA said.
The airline said it expected the fog to last until Friday and asked travellers with flights from Heathrow not to travel to the airport. - Reuters
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/003200612231962.htm
French car pileups leave four dead, dozens hurt
Paris, Dec. 23, 2006 (AP):
Two road accidents in France within hours of each other early Saturday left four people dead in central Paris and some 24 injured in a 60-vehicle pileup on a foggy highway near Bordeaux, officials said.
In Paris, a drunken driver at the wheel of a powerful Mercedes Benz that collided with a smaller car was detained, police said.
Rescuers spent hours disentangling the wreckage of the two cars. Hours after the violent early morning collision, authorities were still uncertain whether all the victims were in a single car or whether some may even have been pedestrians.
A 17-year-old girl was among the dead, along with three young men, aged 17, 18 and 24, police and rescue officials said.
The Bordeaux area pileup _ as French take to the roads for the Christmas holidays _ left up to 24 people injured, five seriously.
``Sixty cars were directly involved and another 200 or 300 were involved to a lesser extent,'' said Jean-Paul Larrouy-Castera of the Gironde region's fire and rescue service.
The pileup, which included cars heading in opposite directions, blocked the A63 highway. Some 80 stranded people were taken to public halls in three small towns, officials said.
No cause for the pileup was given, but regional officials noted the heavy fog blanketing the area and the heavy traffic on the highways.
Wonder if the fog is related, in any way, to this:http://www.playfuls.com/news_10_6147-Fog-Disrupts-Flights-At-Indian-Capital.html
Fog Disrupts Flights At Indian Capital
December 23rd 2006
by News Staff
A thick blanket of fog enveloped the Indian capital Saturday morning disrupting several domestic and international flights.
The runway visibility was less than 75 metres early morning, delaying over 30 flights, according to the airport authorities .
Officials said a couple of flights had taken off at around 9 am as the fog cleared but there were more than 50 flights, both international and domestic, waiting to take off.
Delhi is affected by fog every winter, but an increased number of flights, with several new budget airlines starting operations over the past couple of years, has made matters worse.
Most of the airlines have the technical ability to fly in a visibility range of 550 to 750 metres, but not below 150 metres.
http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=4479.msg30074#msg30074
