More than 200 flights have been delayed at London airports as heavy fog continues to cause widespread disruption, according to flight tracking data.

Data from FlightAware reveals that Gatwick has recorded 238 delays on Saturday, with Heathrow reporting 209 and Stansted 31. All three airports have also reported cancellations as the adverse weather conditions persist.

The further fog comes after hundreds of passengers were delayed on Friday due to the conditions, some waiting an extra three hours for their flights.

In some areas, thick fog patches could reduce visibility down to just 100 metres overnight and into Saturday, the Met Office said. “Another dull and cloudy day is expected, with widespread mist and fog slow to clear, possibly lingering across the region throughout the day,” a statement said for Saturday for London area.

A spokesperson for the Gatwick said: “Temporary air traffic restrictions have been put in place due to fog causing poor visibility.

“Some flights may be delayed throughout the day. London Gatwick apologises for any inconvenience. Passengers should contact their airline for further information.”

The national weather service has not yet issued warnings for fog but said it will monitor the situation overnight.

“It’s that time of year when people are travelling around the country a lot and there are a lot of people on the roads,” Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslick told the PA news agency.

“There is a lot of fog covering much of England, mainly the South East and central England, but the rest of the country is seeing quite a bit of thick fog too.

“It will be pretty murky on Saturday morning and there will still be fog patches that will take a little longer to clear.”

Manchester Airport also has flights delayed with the situation set to be mimicked across the country.

A spokesperson for Nats, the UK’s main air traffic controller, told Sky: “Due to widespread fog, temporary air traffic restrictions are in place at several airports across the UK today. Restrictions of this sort are only ever applied to maintain safety.

“We continue to monitor the situation and have a Met Office expert embedded within our operation to ensure we have the latest available information. Our teams are working closely with the airports and airlines to minimise disruption.”

The Met Office has advised motorists to go steady when they are driving in fog.

But lingering low cloud should start to clear on Sunday, Mr Eslick said.

Some stronger winds are forecast on Sunday which “will pick up and turn over these cloudy and murky conditions to help clear the fog”, Mr Eslick added.

The murky conditions of late are less likely to return in the last couple of days of the year but people should not hold out hope for much winter sunshine.

“It looks like it won’t be as dank and horrible (early next week) but it will still be wet and windy across much of the country,” Mr Eslick said.