January 3rd 2015, Heathrow Airport, London. Low cloud and rain provide ideal conditions to observe wake vortexes and "fluffing" as moisture condenses over the wings of landing aircraft. With the runway visible only at the last minute, several planes had to perform a "go-round", abandoning their first attempts to land. PICTURED: Its landin light cutting their beams into the low cloud, an Airbus A330 takes off from London Heathrow.


As thousands of Britons arrive back from Christmas holidays insunnier climes, cold, wet conditions are waiting to jolt them back to reality as millions prepare to start their new working year. Low cloud and rain at London's Heathrow forced several aircraft to abort their landings and go around for another try. The weather conditions caused visible wake vortices and "fluffing" - the appearance of clouds of water vapour over the wings of the landing planes to be clearly visible as the they emerged from the low clouds just moments before landing.


Size: 3000px × 2000px
Location: Heathrow Airport, London, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © Paul Davey / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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