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Weather pressure record tumbles in the Mumbles, Wales

Getty Images Mumbles, with pier in background and two people walking on beach, on a clear, bright dayGetty Images
Mumbles: The high pressure means clear skies and settled weather

The highest air pressure in the UK for over 60 years has been recorded in Wales - in the Mumbles, Gower.

Atmospheric pressure readings were recorded at 1050.5 hectopascals (hPa) on Sunday night - the highest reading since January 1957 in Scotland.

Weather experts said an "incredibly strong" Atlantic jet stream had pushed vast amounts of air over the UK - sending the mercury rising.

It means a spell of settled weather - with some frosty mornings for some.

According to the BBC Weather service, the high pressure system has been driven by winds hitting 238mph (383km/h) over the central Atlantic ocean.

Llyn Padarn at Llanberis, looking towards Snowdon with sun over the peak, and a border collie dog looking over the lake from a viewpoint
Llyn Padarn, Llanberis, where high pressure also means some frosty mornings

In turn, that has lead to a "pile-up" of air over the British Isles, pushing down on the land mass, with the increase in air pressure.

By comparison - the global average air pressure is 1,013 hPa.

In contrast to the highs - during the recent Storm Brenda, the air pressure slumped to just 939 hPa as the cyclone moved across the north Atlantic.

The highest recorded reading for air pressure at sea level in the UK was in 1902 at Aberdeen, when it hit 1,053.6 hPa - or 31 inches of mercury if you are looking at your old wall barometer.