Sunny spells to break through gloom in parts of the UK on Saturday

Sun may break through the overcast skies for periods in parts of the UK on Saturday following a week of gloomy weather.

A phenomenon known as “anticyclonic gloom” – brought about by an anticyclone or high-pressure system settled over the country – has caused the grey conditions this week, according to the Met Office.

It occurs when air sinks towards the ground under high pressure, trapping a thin layer of moisture or low cloud close to the surface which the October sun cannot break through.

Friday is set to remain cloudy with spots of light rain in some places but Saturday might feel brighter as the high pressure starts to shift slowly into the North Sea.

Met Office meteorologist Ellie Glaisyer told the PA news agency: “We’ll definitely see the best of any sunshine, as we have seen, in probably eastern areas.

“It’s hard to say exactly where we’ll see the sunniest spells but it might just feel a bit brighter than we’ve seen recently.”

She warned it could still be a cloudy day for many but with “a few more breaks in the cloud on Saturday compared to what we’ve seen recently”.

Ms Glaisyer said there will probably be “quite a damp start” to Sunday with most places likely to see rain throughout the day and windier conditions as well.

She continued: “That weather front clears through later Sunday and then we’re into a generally quite changeable setup as we head into the early part of next week – sunny spells, heavy blustery showers, perhaps merging into some longer spells of rain, and it’s a kind of similar setup throughout much of the week.”

The UK will have to keep waiting for a day of proper sunshine, the meteorologist added.

“There will definitely be sunnier interludes and probably a bit more sunshine between those interludes than we might have seen this week,” Ms Glaisyer said.

“Obviously, we’ve seen this blanket of clouds throughout much of the week so despite the rain band coming through it might feel a bit brighter in between those rain bands or showers.

“But at the moment it’s not looking like we are going to have a day of wall to wall sunshine like we might have hoped for in the past week or so.”