UKC

Haar is currently thick down by the shore in Granton in Edinburgh (and has been for most of the past 2 days). Thinking of heading over to Fife this evening and wondering how it is over there. Any locals got a view?

It's 12.50 and I'm on the A92 near Burntisland.  The sun is shining and it's really very nice.

I'm well into my 60's now and I have never come across the word 'Haar' before! I had to look it up. And I have lived on the East coast most of that time. Thank you for using the term. I am off to give myself a good thrashing for being so unobservant. 

Thanks, its cleared up in Granton now so I can finally see Burntisland!

Interesting! Was used a lot when I was growing up in Easter Ross. Today I've learnt that in NE England they use the term 'sea fret' (https://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/what-sea-fret-how-coastal-fog-clouds-ou...).

That's right and that's where I've lived most of the time. The dictionary said it was a term used on the East coast of Scotland and England but we always say sea fret. 

It's a viking word so it's been around for a while. 

Thought it sounded vikingish. I am going to start using it. Was walking part of Cleveland Way yesterday along the cliffs near Staithes and the hot sunny day was made chilly by the sea fret lurking there. If only I knew the word ' haar' then I would have annoyed everyone all day with my grasp of norse.

Dutch, I think.

St Andrews: Finally eased up about an hour ago - been gloomy all day...and follows 2 days of haar thus faar..

You are right. Just looked that up as well. I can annoy everyone with my grasp of Middle Dutch instead of Norse.

I've always believed it to old Norse, but then there aren't many old Norsemen around any more to verify it. So who knows.

Coincidentally the term Haar was used on this morning's ITV weather forecast.

Chamber's 20th Century gives the derivation 'O.N. harr'.

Skimming Google I see that both Norse and Dutch are given as possible roots. I guess it's one of those Northern European words that gets used in a lot of countries but slightly differently, like Dale/Dal/Tal.