With a large dominant blocking anticyclone over southern Scandinavia bringing persistent east or north-easterly winds to Britain, you would expect it to be very cold at this time of year. However, looking at the now well-established synoptic situation and with little sign of a major change, it's perhaps not as cold as it should be. Apart from Iberia and southern Europe where it's a little milder, much of western Europe has temperatures similar to ours, showing an undoubted warming trend.
It's not just the direction of the wind that's most important but its origin, much of which seems to have drifted from southern Europe and been sucked into the overall circulation further north. Even across Scandinavia, much further north, receiving their air from Central and Northern Europe, while freezing as you would expect, is not unusually cold.
This has left England and Wales in a meteorological mess, with several systems embedded in an overall east or north-easterly flow. This is bringing a good deal of gloomy, damp, cold, misty weather with some hill fog and sporadic bursts of mainly light rain and drizzle. Over Northern Ireland it's a little brighter, but it's Scotland that has the best of the sunshine, particularly in the west and north.
After dark, it remains much as you were, with the North and West of Scotland seeing another sharp frost, -9C again is possible in some sheltered Highland glens. But further East and South, the frost will be more patchy. Parts of the West and South West may also see breaks, but for much of England and Wales it remains much the same with further sporadic bursts of mainly light rain or drizzle, particularly across the East and South. Temperatures won't change very much though, remaining around 4 to 6C, but it'll be colder where skies break in a cold north-easterly wind.
As we enter the new working week it's the same old story, with much of England and Wales remaining grey, dull and misty. There'll be further light rain or drizzle here and there, but more especially in the East and South where a few heavier bursts are possible. The West may see a little brightness, but any sunshine will be limited. Meanwhile Northern Ireland and more especially Scotland see some sunshine, with another fine day expected in the North West after yet another sharp frost. Maximum temperatures 5 to 8C in a cold north-easterly wind that'll be gusty across the East and South of England.
Whilst being sorry to keep repeating myself, it's much the same again after dark, with few signs of the overall pattern changing in the days to come.
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