What is anticyclonic gloom and why is it making the weather so dull?
The gray and dreary weather this fall has been brutal, but a meteorological phenomenon known as “anticyclonic gloom” may be to blame.
This high pressure system will dominate the weather next week, which means no blue skies and no sun.
It is not uncommon for the UK to experience anti-cyclone gloom, especially in the autumn months.
The Met Office explains that this occurs when a high pressure system or anticyclone settles over the country.
During periods of high pressure, air sinks toward the ground, which can trap a thin layer of moisture near the surface or a low cloud, sometimes accompanied by drizzle.
This is less common in the summer months when the sun is strong enough to break up the low-lying cloud and lift it into the cleaner air above.
But in October the sun’s strength wanes, meaning low cloud stubbornly remains in place. This leads to gray, cloudy conditions with no wind coming from the high pressure area.
During an anticyclonic gloom, the cloud can thicken as moisture condenses, triggering outbreaks of drizzle.
This weather event can also lead to higher levels of pollution as it gets trapped. The Great Smog of 1952, which blanketed London in thick fog and polluted enough to kill thousands of people, was an extreme example.
While much of the UK remains trapped under gray skies, those at higher altitudes, such as the Pennines and the Highlands of Scotland, are able to emerge above the low cloud into cleaner air.
These areas have seen exceptionally low humidity and beautiful, clear skies, with just 4 per cent recorded in the Pennines earlier this week, the Met Office reported.
The rest of the UK will have to wait until Friday to see some breaks in the cloud, particularly the South, West England, West Wales and Northern Scotland.
High pressure will gradually shift towards the North Sea over the weekend, resulting in winds starting to come in from the south, with a bit more breeze and perhaps a reduction in the gloomy areas where clear spells develop overnight.
Saturday is expected to be a generally dry day again, but there are signs of a change on the horizon with the arrival of wet and windy weather from the west starting from Sunday.
