It’s said to be the most depressing day of the year when freezing temperatures and dark nights crush our spirits on the third week back to work after Christmas, with the festive season now a distant memory.
But forecasters suggested ‘Blue Monday’ should be renamed ‘Blue Sky Monday’ for today, as a blanket of fog lifted to reveal beautiful winter sunshine across most of Britain lasting for the whole day.
Temperatures will be around average for the time of year peaking at 10C (50F) in the South West and 8C (46F) for the rest of England, Wales and Scotland as high pressure remains in charge across the country.
And even though the sun will set between 4.30pm and 5pm as normal for mid-January, it will be a very bright evening for the whole of the UK ahead of the full ‘Wolf Moon’ which occurs at 11.48pm tonight.
The rest of the week will be mostly dry with more overnight frosts and freezing fog and temperatures still around average levels, but there could be some wintry showers in Scotland on Thursday.
And the Met Office has issued a 17-hour fog warning for most of England, running from 7pm tonight until 12pm tomorrow which comes with an alert for ‘slower journey times and possible hazardous driving conditions’.
It added that there could be disruption to train and bus services and a chance of delays or cancellations to flights, with visibility dipping below 300ft in some locations and some spots staying foggy into the afternoon.
The London Eye and River Thames are pictured in the bright sunlight today on what is being dubbed ‘Blue Sky Monday’
Paddleboarders brave the cold North Sea under inviting blue skies and sun at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside today
Trafalgar Square in London is pictured in the bright sunshine today on what is being called ‘Blue Sky Monday’
Beachgoers make the most of the sunny weather at Cullercoats Bay in North Tyneside this afternoon
The sun rises behind Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire today on a very bright day for much of the country
Early visitors walk past a body of water as the sun rises over Bushy Park in South West London this morning
Dog walkers pass through Victoria Park in Bristol today on a frosty and cold start to the morning in the South West
A stunning sunrise at Bushy Park in South West London this morning at the start of a day full of winter sun
A misty morning at London’s Bushy Park today as the sun rises at the start of a sunny winter’s day
Two cyclists cast shadows on a country lane in East Lothian as they are silhouetted by the morning sun today
Today, most of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will all enjoy mostly sunny skies after morning mist and fog clears – although North West Scotland will be cloudy and misty with some drizzle.
Tonight will be a clear night for Wales and north-eastern Scotland, while mist and fog will linger over the rest of the UK for most of the night but it will remain dry for all.
There will be light winds for most of England but moderate gusts in north-western Scotland. Fog in England and Wales will be slow to lift through tomorrow, and it will be cloudy with rain in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Showers in Scotland will move eastward through the day as England and Wales remain dry with sunny spells, and there will be moderate south-westerly winds in Scotland and northern England.
The moon sets at dawn behind the ruins of Corfe Castle in Dorset today on a cold and frosty morning
The moon sets this morning behind St Thomas Becket Church in Fairfield, Kent, ahead of the Wolf Moon tonight
The moon sets behind houses in Bristol this morning ahead of the first full moon of 2022 – the Wolf Moon – tonight
The view from space issued by the Met Office today shows how much of Britain is enjoying some winter sunshine
The Met Office has issued a 17-hour fog warning for most of England, running from 7pm tonight until 12pm tomorrow
Wednesday will begin wet and cloudy for most, becoming drier and brighter through the day, with scattered showers in Wales and Southern England. There is also the potential for some wintry showers in Scotland.
Thursday will then be dry and bright for most, with some thick cloud in Northern Ireland and Scotland.
The lowest temperature recorded overnight into this morning was -3.9C (39F) at Leeming in North Yorkshire.
The highest temperature recorded over the weekend was 12.3C (54.1F) at Gosport in Hampshire yesterday, while the lowest was -4.7C (23.5F) at Benson in Oxfordshire on Saturday.
The top temperature of 2022 so far was New Year’s Day – the UK’s warmest on record – when London got to 16.3C (61.3F), beating the previous record of 15.6C (60.1F) set in Bude, Cornwall, set more than a century ago in 1916.