The sky over Britain has finally wrung itself out. After a week in which two named storms and a stubborn low pressure system soaked England more thoroughly than at any point in two years, the air is settling into a long hush of high pressure. Here, in the first days of November, the land is offered a brief truce: dry mornings wrapped in fog, a slow cooling of the nights, and the quiet expectation that the Atlantic, restless as ever, will return in the middle of the month.
UK Could Enjoy 10 Dry Days in a Row as High Pressure Settles In After Wettest Week in Two Years
As many as 10 consecutive days without rain
Mark
After a week of storms, a stretch of 10 dry days sounds like a reprieve. Is that the whole story?
Mimi
Mostly, yes. The Environment Agency says Austen, Bóelo and a low on Monday made it England's wettest week in two years, and now high pressure is settling in with very little rain in sight.
Mark
But dry doesn't mean clear, does it?
Mimi
No. Fog is the catch. Some patches could be dense and slow to clear in the mornings, which may reduce visibility and disrupt travel.
Luke
Worth noting the 10 days is "as many as," not a promise. It's a forecast ceiling.
Mark
And Halloween?
Mimi
Largely dry, with clear skies and light winds for most. Western Isles of Scotland may see a few spells of rain.
Luke
What about mid-November? The piece says high pressure "could" loosen and Atlantic lows "could" return. That's signs, not certainty.
Mimi
Fair. The wording is cautious: most areas would probably see average or above-average rain if it happens.
Mark
Where does El Niño fit in?
Mimi
It's intensifying and has been linked to wetter, stormier late autumn and early winter in the UK.
Luke
Linked, not proven to cause this particular pattern. The source doesn't say El Niño drove Austen or Bóelo.
Der Puls
- Storms Austen and Boelo, joined by a low on Monday, drenched England into its wettest week in two years.
- Dense fog threatens to choke visibility on morning roads and travel routes as the calm settles in.
- High pressure is moving to hold the country under up to 10 consecutive rain-free days into early November.
- Temperatures are sliding lower, and the chill is expected to bite hardest at night and in the early mornings.
- Forecasters are watching for Atlantic low-pressure systems to break the calm around mid-November, with wetter and windier weather likely to return.
The sky over Britain has finally wrung itself out. After a week in which two named storms and a stubborn low pressure system soaked England more thoroughly than at any point in two years, the air is settling into a long hush of high pressure. Here, in the first days of November, the land is offered a brief truce: dry mornings wrapped in fog, a slow cooling of the nights, and the quiet expectation that the Atlantic, restless as ever, will return in the middle of the month.
The week the UK is leaving behind was a wet one. Storms Austen and Bóelo arrived in quick succession at the end of October, and together with another low pressure system on Monday they made it England's wettest week in two years, according to the Environment Agency. Bóelo in particular stood out for the sheer volume of rain it delivered.
Now the pattern is turning. High pressure is building across the UK and could bring as many as 10 consecutive days without rain as November begins, with light winds across most areas. The calm has its own complications, as mist and fog are expected to linger over mornings, some dense enough to reduce visibility and disrupt travel.
For Halloween on Saturday evening, conditions look largely dry, with the Western Isles the exception where a few spells of rain are possible. It will also feel colder, as temperatures edge lower over the coming days, especially at night.
The settled spell should last at least 10 days, but around mid-November high pressure may loosen its grip. Atlantic low-pressure systems could then bring wetter and windier weather, with most areas probably seeing average or above-average rainfall. A wider backdrop of a strengthening El Niño in the Pacific may add to the stormier outlook for late autumn and early winter.
The week the UK is leaving behind was a wet one. Two named storms, Austen and Bóelo, arrived in quick succession at the end of October, and the Environment Agency says that together with another area of low pressure on Monday they made it England's wettest week in two years. Both were the first named storms of the season, and Bóelo in particular stood out for the sheer volume of rain it delivered.
Now the pattern is turning. High pressure is building across the UK, and forecasters expect it to bring as many as 10 consecutive days without rain as November begins. There is no significant rainfall in the outlook, and winds should stay light across most areas.
The calm comes with its own complications. Mist and fog are expected to be a persistent feature of the mornings, and some patches may turn dense and slow to clear. That could reduce visibility and disrupt travel. Once the fog lifts, brighter spells should develop, though pockets of low cloud may hang on in places.
For anyone heading out on Saturday evening for Halloween, conditions look largely dry. The exception is the Western Isles of Scotland, where a few spells of rain could dampen things. Across most of the country, skies should be clear as darkness falls, with light winds.
It will also feel colder. Temperatures are forecast to edge lower gradually over the coming days, giving a slightly cooler feel, especially at night and in the early mornings.
The high-pressure area is expected to stay over or close to the UK for at least 10 days, and there is little sign of it moving away. The settled, dry pattern should carry into early November.
The forecast does point to another shift, though. Around mid-November, high pressure could loosen its grip and allow Atlantic low-pressure systems to move toward the country. That would mean wetter and windier weather again, with most areas probably seeing average or even above-average rainfall.
There is a wider climate backdrop as well. The El Niño event in the Pacific Ocean continues to intensify, and it has been linked to wetter and stormier weather in the UK during late autumn and early winter. The forecast to watch is the one-month outlook, which will show whether the Atlantic does return in mid-November.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Rainfall from both named storms and another low on Monday contributed to the wettest week across the UK for two years.— Environment Agency, as reported by BBC News
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