High pressure staying well in charge of the UK weather

We have a large slow moving anticyclone centred over the country today, and for the next few days, so it's going to continue mainly dry with light winds. Most parts will also be rather cold with plates of cloud drifting about, that will influence the distribution of patchy fog and frost at night.

There is a lot of cloud this morning, thick enough to give the odd shower over Norfolk and Kent, but these'll fade in an otherwise dry day. The cloud though has helped keep most parts just above freezing, except across parts of South Wales, the South West and East Scotland, where temperatures fell to around -10C last night at Braemar under clear skies. Cloud amounts will continue to vary during the day with some places remaining overcast, while others see some winter sunshine coming through.

Winds generally will be light and variable over England, Wales and much of Scotland where it'll be rather cold with top temperatures mostly in the range 3 to 6C. Across Northern Ireland, the far West of Scotland and the Northern Isles, however, a milder 7 to 9C is more likely in a South or South Westerly breeze.

Here too there'll be a good deal of cloud at times, but apart from a little drizzle or light rain in the far North West and across Orkney and Shetland, it'll be mainly dry.

The weather remains in a placid mood after dark, with cloud continuing to drift about in light winds. There should be more in the way of clearances though over England and Wales, making a frost and patchy freezing fog more likely. Where you keep cloud and in most coastal areas, you'll remain just above freezing, but where skies clear, temperatures could fall as low as -4 to -6C in the coldest spots.

Across Northern Ireland and much of Scotland, there'll also be a fair amount of cloud, with the best breaks probably towards Lothian and The Borders leading to a frost and patchy fog. Most other parts see a good deal of cloud, that'll continue to give patchy drizzle or light rain in the North and West. Here it'll be milder in a mostly light South or South Westerly wind, with lowest temperatures 4 to 7C, but -2 to 0C should skies break towards Lothian and The Borders.

Friday sees the centre of our anticyclone drifting towards the English Channel, making much of Wales, southern and central areas more prone to frost and freezing fog in light winds. Some parts see spells of winter sunshine, but where fog lingers, it could remain grey and cold for much of the day.

There'll also continue to plates of cloud drifting about, with parts of North of England and Cumbria in particular probably seeing a good deal of cloud through the day. Top temperatures over most of England and Wales, should again be in the range 3 to 6C, but where patchy fog lingers it'll be much colder.

Most of Northern Ireland and Scotland will probably be rather cloudy, with the brightest weather in the East where you'll have shelter from a West or South Westerly breeze. This'll be bringing milder, damp air off the Atlantic but apart from some further patchy light rain or drizzle in the North and West, it'll continue to be mainly dry, with temperatures reaching 7 to 9C in most parts.

There'll be little change after dark that stays mostly dry, with Wales, The Midlands and South most likely to see the return of frost and patchy fog, where lowest temperatures should be between -2 and -4C. Parts of Northern Ireland, northern England and South East Scotland may also have a touch of frost where skies clear, but generally, there should be enough cloud over most of Scotland, Cumbria and towards coasts of North West England to keep the frost away. Lowest temperatures here 3 to 6C.