Britain’s unprecedented spell of ‘anticyclonic gloom’ this month has meant the sun has been completely blotted out in some areas.
Experts from the Met Office reveal that some towns in England didn’t get a single minute of sunshine in the first 10 days of November.
Odiham in Hampshire, Saint Helier in Jersey and Ronaldsway on the Isle of Man didn’t see the sun, while Rostherne in Cheshire got just 24 minutes of sunshine.
Surprisingly, Scotland, usually known for its murky conditions, experienced clearer conditions than anywhere else in the UK.
For example, Kinloss in Moray got an impressive 35 hours of sunshine in the first 10 days of November and even reached a ‘balmy’ 64°F (17.8°C) on Wednesday.
Overall, England had just 2.2 hours of sunshine in the first 10 days of November, while the UK as a whole fared slightly better with 5.3 hours.
‘Depressing’ conditions have been caused by anticyclonic gloom, a weather phenomenon typified by grey skies, mist and low cloud.
It means that the sky has a uniformly drab colour – with the sun nowhere to be seen and only limited daytime brightness.
The sky is rendered grey, caused by high pressure over the UK trapping moisture near the surface of the Earth, creating stubborn cloud or, in weather parlance, ‘anticyclonic gloom’. Pictured, the effect viewed from Horizon 22 in Bishopsgate, London, November 8, 2024
This satellite view from space shows Britain blanketed by cloud and fog. Scotland, usually known for its murky conditions, experienced clearer conditions than the rest of the UK
Low clouds or fog can become trapped when a cool area of high pressure moves over moist land.
The moisture then evaporates, leading to daytime mist and low clouds – an effect described by travel writer Bill Bryson as like ‘living inside Tupperware’.
While such a setup in the summer months often leads to warm and sunny days with light winds, it can result in ‘anticyclonic gloom’ in autumn and winter.
In a post on X (Twitter) last week, Met Office described the miserable weather event, which has been called ‘so depressing’ and ‘awful’ by Brits.
Met Office said in its X post: ‘This week’s weather phrase [is] anticyclonic gloom.
‘This can occur when high pressure traps a layer of moisture near to the Earth’s surface.
‘[It’s] bringing a prolonged period of dull and cloudy weather, with mist and fog also possible. How would you describe today’s weather?’
One user replied: ‘I mean the lack of wind and rain is great but the heavy gloomy sky, my God is so depressing.
Britain has been in the grips of a ‘depressing’ weather phenomenon known as ‘anticyclonic gloom’, experts said last week. Pictured, London, November 6, 2024
Typified by grey skies, mist and low cloud, it means that the sky has a uniformly drab colour – with the sun nowhere to be seen. Pictured, a house in Dunsden, Oxfordshire under the gloom on November 6
In a post on X (Twitter), Met Office described the miserable weather event, which has been called ‘so depressing’ and ‘awful’
‘It’s been the same for a full week and your forecast is the same all this week too. Just awful, claustrophobic almost.’
Someone else said: ‘Felt that claustrophobia for a few days. Never realised not being able to see the sky for so long would have that effect.’
Yet another said: ‘We have a summer with little or no anti-cyclonic weather and when we do it’s in November and depressingly dull.’
Another person asked: ‘Whatever happened to crisp and clear autumn days.’
Anticyclonic gloom, also known by meteorologists as a ‘dirty high’, typically moves away after a week, making this latest extended period unusual ‘but not unheard of’.
It has meant that the UK has so far had only five per cent of the average sunshine for the month of November, compared with the 23 per cent usually expected at this stage in the month.
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 recorded in Northern Ireland and only a touch more in southern England with 54 minutes.’
A pedestrian walks through misty weather in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, last Thursday – an effect described by Bill Bryson as like ‘living inside Tupperware’
According to a Met Office spokesperson, the gloom is lifting this week and the weather is ‘currently looking much brighter’.
‘There will still be cloudy days and it’s still possible we could see more general periods of gloomy weather,’ the spokesperson told MailOnline.
‘But it isn’t likely to be as gloomy as the last week has been.’
In the Met Office forecast for November 11 to 20, Met Office forecaster Alex Deakin said there will be ‘a good deal of dry, settled weather’ early this week.
‘However, after a bright start, increasingly cloudy conditions are likely to develop by midweek, with patchy drizzle possible at times. Some fog is also possible, this slow to clear,’ Deakin said.
Later in the week, it will become ‘more unsettled’ with some rain or showers, particularly towards the east.
‘After a possible brief drier spell [this weekend], it may become largely unsettled during the following week,’ the forecaster added.
‘Temperatures will be near or a little above average at first, but will tend to drop a little below average later.’
Brits may also have noticed especially chilly temperatures at the start of this week, somewhat less mild than Novembers of past years.
According to the Met Office, temperatures reached as low as 0.3°C on Monday and will be even colder in the north through to the weekend and the start of next week.
It said there is a ‘chance of frost and ice’ for some areas and even the possibility of some snow in the UK’s north.