Early on Wednesday morning, parts of the United Kingdom were enveloped in a rare pink fog that transformed the sky with a muted rosy hue, captivating residents from Oxfordshire to Cambridgeshire as low-lying mist coincided with sunrise.

Meteorologists explained that the striking colour occurred when sunlight passed through dense fog at a low angle, scattering the shorter blue and green wavelengths and allowing red-dominant light to reach observers, a phenomenon that requires an unusual combination of atmospheric layering, fog density and timing with the early morning sun.

The phenomenon, which experts say is purely optical, was reported in central England and other regions before the fog gradually lifted as the day progressed.

Amid the surreal spectacle, the UK Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for fog covering large areas, cautioning that visibility would remain poor into the morning and could disrupt travel on roads and at airports as flights and local services faced delays and cancellations because of patchy, dense mist.

Forecasters emphasised that, despite its unusual colouration, the pink fog does not signal hazardous weather beyond the usual risks associated with reduced visibility, such as slower traffic and potential minor delays to train and bus services.

The rare event has prompted locals to share images of the pink-tinted landscape, while authorities continued to advise caution for motorists navigating early autumn mist and low-lying fog patches that have formed under conditions of lingering moisture and calm winds overnight.

As the mist cleared through late morning, weather warnings remained in place for other conditions including rainfall and potential flooding in parts of southern England later in the week, with the broader unsettled pattern expected to persist amid a succession of low-pressure systems crossing the region.