The UK could have up to 10 consecutive days without rain as high pressure replaces the storms that brought an exceptionally wet end to October. The calmer conditions will bring a different hazard, however: dense morning fog could reduce visibility and disrupt travel.

The Environment Agency said England had experienced its wettest week in two years following Storms Austen and Bóelo. Rain from those systems, together with another area of low pressure on Monday, contributed to the wet spell. Both storms brought much-needed rainfall, with Bóelo particularly notable for the volume it delivered.

A blocking area of high pressure is now expected to remain over or close to the UK for at least 10 days, keeping conditions largely dry and winds light into early November. That does not mean everywhere will stay completely rain-free: spells of rain could affect Scotland’s Western Isles on Halloween evening, although most of the country should remain dry with clear skies as darkness falls.

For many places, the main uncertainty each day will be how quickly mist, fog and low cloud clear. Some fog patches could become dense and persist through the morning. Brighter spells should develop once they lift, but low cloud may linger locally.

Temperatures are expected to edge down over the coming days, making nights and early mornings feel chillier.

There are tentative signs of another change around mid-November. High pressure could weaken, allowing Atlantic low-pressure systems to approach and bringing wetter, windier conditions, with rainfall potentially reaching or exceeding average levels across most areas.

The intensifying El Niño event in the Pacific has been linked to wetter and stormier UK weather in late autumn and early winter. The nearer-term forecast, though, remains dominated by high pressure, with little prospect of significant rainfall.