Dense fog has blanketed Auckland this morning, cancelling two dozen domestic flights and sending the sound of foghorns echoing across the city’s waterfront.
In an update at 11.10am, Auckland Airport said fog restrictions were lifted after a morning of intense disruptions.
In all, 24 arriving and 24 departing domestic flights were cancelled due to the weather.
Three arriving and five departing flights were also delayed.
International flights were not affected.
Live traffic cameras showed dense fog covering the city’s major motorways.
Ferry services between downtown Auckland and Waiheke Island were also hit, with Fullers360 warning that six morning sailings — the 8am, 9am and 10am services in both directions — faced potential delays until the fog cleared.
The fog prompted reactions from residents across the city, with some on social media reporting that the sound of foghorns could be heard as far away as West Harbour.
One observer on social media described the fog as roughly 100m thick, rolling out over the ocean as temperatures continued to drop.
The post went on to describe this morning’s coverage as “absolutely crazy”.
According to MetService, Auckland Airport averages 19.3 foggy nights a year, with radiation fog — the most common type in New Zealand — forming on clear, calm nights when temperatures drop, and moisture in the air condenses near the ground.
While some aircraft are equipped to land in low visibility, MetService says taxiing remains dangerous in fog, and fewer planes can land per hour during low-visibility operations.
Radiation fog refers to a fog-forming process dependent on “radiative heat fluxes” as temperature changes from the coldest hours of the morning to the warmer day as the sun rises.
For fog to form, MetService said the best conditions were clear skies, light winds, and sufficient moisture in the lowest layer of the atmosphere, near the ground.