Highest air pressure for over 60 years recorded in the Mumbles, Swansea

The Met Office says the highest air pressure for over 60 years has been recorded in the Mumbles, Swansea.

The pressure reading from Sunday evening makes it the highest UK reading since January 1957.

High pressure brought chilly and sunny weather conditions to much of the country over the weekend, with many waking up to frost on Monday morning as temperatures plummeted.

The Met Office says that the rise in pressure "for most of us, means nothing in real terms" and most people "will not notice any difference".

The forecaster also says the spell of high pressure is not related to Storm Brendan, which caused travel havoc when it hit the UK early last week.

What is pressure?

The Earth's atmosphere exerts pressure on the surface. Pressure is measured in hectoPascals (hPa).

The Met Office says areas of high and low pressure are caused by ascending and descending air. As air warms it ascends, leading to low pressure at the surface. As air cools it descends, leading to high pressure at the surface.

In general, low pressure leads to unsettled weather conditions and high pressure leads to settled weather conditions.