UK weather: Why is it so gloomy and when will it brighten?

Feeling gloomy about the weather? You are not alone. Mist, fog, low cloud and a distinct lack of brightness seems to be all we have been talking about weather-wise for some time.

It is grey, misty and mild for the time of year, and while there was some rain in Scotland over the weekend, for much of England and Wales, apart from drizzle and general dampness, the last time we saw any appreciable rainfall was on Monday 28 October.

The last day with widespread sunshine was the day before that, though a few weather stations recorded several hours of sunshine at Halloween.

High pressure, or an anticyclone, is currently dominating our weather.

Such areas of high pressure block rain-bearing fronts and often mean extended dry periods. In the summer this often leads to warm, dry and sunny days with light winds. In autumn and winter, while sunny, clearer days are possible, high pressure can also result in "anticyclonic gloom".

This is when high pressure traps an area of moisture close to the surface of the Earth. The moisture forms low cloud, mist and fog, which then cannot lift and clear as the winds are so light and the sunshine weak.

As the high persists, the low cloud continues to feed itself by re-thickening overnight as temperatures drop and moisture condenses. The quality of the air can also deteriorate as pollutants build, especially in cities.

The jet stream , which is responsible for driving low pressure systems and weather fronts towards us from the Atlantic, is currently rather weak, sluggish and to the north of the UK. It is strengthening a little but not enough to shift the high pressure out of the way, and will remain to the north.

As we head into the weekend there is a chance that a front will bring some rain to northern and western areas of the UK, but as with all fronts when it bumps into the area of high pressure it will weaken.

Therefore the high is set to last until at least the end of next week which will mean it will have been a very dry first half of November, in stark contrast to what has been a particularly wet year.

The good news, however, is that behind this weekend's front there could be something brighter into next week as the air mass changes. The air will be drier with less moisture so there should be more in the way of sunshine to lift the morning mist, low cloud and gloom and, of course, the spirits.

For our latest thoughts on the forecast beyond next week, read our monthly outlook .