The deep cold to the NE on the +144 UKMO is capable of acting like a blocking high of its own.
It even generates its own higher SLP because it's so dense - hence a lot of models now showing a narrow surface ridge aligned with it by Fri-Sat.
It adds a fascinating twist to things just when we'd otherwise be at the mercy of an evolving west-based negative NAO setup - although I'm not sure given stratospheric signals that the blocking high will actually go so far away.
The elongated shape of the LP to the south on the +144 UKMO suggests it is continuing to follow the (very!) southerly-tracking jet into the Med. more than break away N in the style of GFS.
I would actually expect, going forward, to see the LP continue across to Italy or thereabouts, with deep cold still moving across the UK from the E or NE albeit not at such brisk pace as earlier in the week, leaving us wondering if the polar vortex will pay us a visit from Siberia way before the remnant cold pooling had even had time to clear away.
That last part depends on how the second bout of anomalies propagating down from the stratosphere happen to orientate, so not worth getting too interested in at this time - especially given what we've got to deal with next week!
Originally Posted by: Stormchaser