An “anticyclonic gloom” has been blamed for cloudy weather across parts of England, with one village receiving absolutely no sunshine since October.
Odiham, in Hampshire, has reportedly recorded zero minutes of sunshine since October, but forecasters are predicting that the fog, drizzle and low cloud should start clearing from Sunday.
The phenomenon, dubbed an “anticyclonic gloom” by experts, has led to the UK experiencing an average of just three hours of sunshine over the past week. But fronts moving in from the north-west bringing rain to the west of Scotland throughout Sunday ought to allow a change of air mass across Britain – with less cloud.
The Met Office spokesperson Stephen Dixon said an “atmospheric gloom” is when “high pressure traps a layer of moisture near to the Earth’s surface and that brings a prolonged period of dull and cloudy weather, but with pockets of mist and fog as well”.
“We’ve been locked into this weather pattern for a few days now and we’ve got a bit more of it to come,” he said. “However, there is a change on the way, with brighter skies early next week.
“By the time we get to Sunday, we start to see this change on the way, with fronts moving in from the north-west bringing periods of rain to the west of Scotland through Sunday. But it also allows a change of air mass across the UK which invites another area of high pressure from the west – but, this time, with much less cloud on it.
“What it means for the UK’s weather is that, by Monday, it’s looking like a widely dry and fine day for many with good spells of sunshine, albeit with a touch more patchy cloud in the north of the country.
“But, for the vast majority, a dry and fine day for many with some sunshine, which will feel like it’s much needed after the recent week.”
ITV weather presenter Becky Mantin said early November’s stagnant weather was “creating a staggering lack of sunshine”.
She said: “For some, there has been no respite at all – Odiham in Hampshire has recorded zero minutes of sunshine so far this November.
“Wales takes the unenviable second-place spot with an average of just 12 minutes; 48 minutes was recorded in Northern Ireland and only a touch more in southern England – 54 minutes.”
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