Current weather setup: Omega high pressure system causes persistent grey skies

For days now, there has been little change in the weather: with little sun to be seen here but plenty of fog and cloud. This is due to a so-called omega high.

In summer, it causes intense heat, but in autumn and winter, it causes persistent grey skies.

It owes its name to the imaginary line along the lows and highs in the shape of the Greek letter Ω on the weather map. In the middle, over the UK and Ireland, is a stable high-pressure area, flanked by two lows. The high blocks the exchange of air over Europe, deflects lows and causes a stable picture.

The result: the weather remains consistent for long periods of time, depending on the region, either sunny and mild or cloudy and foggy. Such conditions can last for days or even weeks, often making the autumn and winter months a real test of patience.