October Weather Statistics

[Thundery wintry showers]

Since I've received my weather records at the turn of the month this time, I thought I'd start up the thread.

Weather statistics for Cleadon, Tyne and Wear, October 2010 (anomalies relative to estimated 1971-2000 averages)

Mean Max 13.2 (+0.1)

Mean Min 7.5 (+0.5)

Highest Max 16.8 (4th)

Lowest Max 8.3 (20th)

Highest Min 12.9 (9th)

Lowest Min -0.2 (25th)

Total precipitation 56mm (97%)

Wettest day: 3rd (14mm)

Days >= 1mm : 11

Sleet/snow falling : 0 (see caveat for the 20th)

Fog at 0900 GMT : 2

Gales : 0

Hail : 0

Overall this was a statistically near average October, and due to a recent run of dry Octobers this made it the wettest since 2006. Maximum temperatures were near-normal for most of the month, but the minima were much above average in the first half, and then there were some cold nights in the second half.

Changeable westerlies in the first week were followed by a dull easterly spell in the second week with cool days offset by warm nights. There were a couple of northerly plunges on the 19th/20th and 23rd/24th. The first northerly plunge saw a light shower pass through the vicinity at 5:20am BST on the 20th, accompanied by a temperature of just 2C and a dew point of -1C, but nobody was awake at the time to verify what type of precipitation fell (a snow flurry was reported from Newcastle, but that doesn't mean it fell as snow in Cleadon, especially as it's much nearer the coast), so I cannot report sleet or snow falling for the date. The maximum of 8.3C on the 20th was pretty low, though lower maxima occurred in sunshine in Octobers 1993, 1994, 2003 and 2008.

The second northerly produced somewhat more in the way of showers, though on that occasion it never got cold enough for sleet/snow, but Cleadon just managed an air frost early on the 25th, for only the second time in October since the 20th October 2002.

The month ended warm and changeable with south-westerly winds.

[TonyH]

October 2010, Llanwnnen, Ceredigion, Wales

Near normal but varied temperatures; warm spell early, and some hard frosts later

Rainfall slightly below average.

1st-6th: Unsettled with near average temperatures. Rain at times, some very heavy spells (11mm in an hour in the early hours of the 6th).

7th- 11th: An Indian Summer? Warm to very warm and largely sunny. One of the highest October temperatures in west Wales for quite a few years, reaching a very impressive 21.9c on the 8th. Tempered by quite a fresh breeze 8/9th though.

12th-13th: Still mostly sunny but cooling off and with overnight frosts, as well as fog early on the 13th.

14th-15th: Gloomy and rather cool.

16th-18th: Mostly dry and bright, frost at night.

19th- 23rd: Unsettled and rather windy with cool to average temperatures. Dry, bright spells also. Good frost 21st. Very wet 23rd with 48mm in 24 hours.

24th-25th: Cool and sunny. Exceptionally cold night and an early severe frost 25th, minimum of -5.6c, most unusual for this early on.

26th-31st: Unsettled and mild. Rain at times, mostly cloudy; windy at times.

Statistics

Total rainfall: 126.3mm

Wettest day: 25.1mm 22nd

Rain days >0.2mm: 19

Wet days >1.0mm: 16

Days of heavy rain >10mm: 5

Mean temperature: 10.0c

Mean Max: 14.7c

Mean Min: 5.3c

High max: 21.9c 8th

Low Max: 9.3c 25th

High min: 13.8c 9th

Low min: -5.6c 25th

Air frost: 6

Ground frost: 8

Mean RH: 88%

High RH: 100 various

Low RH: 46% 11th

Predominant wind directions: SSE and NW

Mean wind speed: 1.1mph

Mean pressure: 1011mbar

Max pressure: 1030mbar 25th

Min pressure: 985mbar 29th

Days with:

Hail: 1

Gale: 0

Thunder: 0

Fog: 4

Fog at 0900: 2

[Osbourne One-Nil]

Average daily maximum; 12.1º

Highest daily maximum; 18.5º (7th)

Lowest daily maximum; 6.7º (20th)

Average daily minimum; 4.7º

Highest daily minimum; 10.6º (4th and 9th)

Lowest daily minimum; -5.4º (25th)

Mean monthly temperature; 8.4º (12yr average; 8.9º)

Air frosts; four

Ground frosts; eleven

Lowest ground temp; -9.0º (25th)

Total rainfall; 83.8mm

Wettest day; 1st (17.6mm)

No. of wet days (0.2mm or above); twenty

Highest wind gust; 50mph (29th)

[Andy Bown]

October 2010 was 1.14c cooler than October 2009 and there was 32mm less rain.

71mm of the 85.5mm fell in the opening 6 days! There followed a dry spell lasting 21 days during which just a few

'traces' occured.

There was a consistency to the maximums and minimums which was only affected by the warm period from days 7-10 and the

colder period from days 23-25.

Statistics for Warminster, Wiltshire

Average max = 13.63c (Highest = 20.0c on 8 Oct)

Average min = 7.92c (lowest = -0.6c on 25 Oct)

Mean = 10.77c

Dry days = 18

Rain days = 13

Rainfall = 85.5mm

[RichardR]

Buxton, Derbyshire, England

Unofficial October 2010 Climatic Records

Latitude 53*N Longitude 1.5*W Elevation 338m/1110ft AMSL

Valid 1st- 31st October, 2010

Unfortunately there were problems with my sensor under reporting maximum temperatures this month, so the max is not precise, sorry.

Mean Maximum: ~11°C / 52°F

Mean Minimum: 5.9°C / 42.6°F

Mean Temperature: 8.2°C / 46.8°F

Highest Temperature: 16.5°C / 61.7°F (10th)

Lowest Temperature: -1.7°C / 28.9°F (25th)

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Lowest Maximum: 5.1°C / 41.2°F (20th)

Highest Minimum: 11.0°C / 51.8°F (9th)

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Precipitation: 109mm / 4.29"

Days with rain >1mm: 11

Days with rain/drizzle: 16

Most in one day: 31mm / 1.22" (1st)

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Mean Pressure: 1012.1mb

Max Pressure: 1028mb (25th)

Min Pressure: 988mb (29th)

Average Maximum Wind Gust: 29.3mph

Maximum Wind Gust: 45mph (29th)

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Sunshine hours: 98.6

Most in one day: 9.44 (4th)

Average per day: 3.2 hours

Sunless days: 10

---------------------

Days with:

Sleet/Snow: 0

Fog: At least two.

Hail/Ice Pellets: 1 (19th)

Thunderstorm: 0

Nights below freezing: 2

Month synopsis:

A near-average month temperature wise. Slightly dryer and sunnier than average. Sunnier in fact that September (at least here). No thunder reported here but once in Manchester on 6th. No snow.

[Optimus Prime]

A cool month with some record low temperatures; 21st with a low of -2.4c. Other than this it was an ordinary month

Mean Max 14.9c (-0.9c)

Mean Min 8.6c (-0.1c)

Mean 11.7c (-0.6c)

[johnholmes]

for Cantley - Doncaster

temps in C and values in brackets are long term averages for RAF Finningley and Cantley

Mean=11.2(10.5)

Avge Max=15.0(14.3)

Avge Min=7.4(6.8|

Daytime higest=20.4 on 10th and lowest=10.2 on 20th

Lowest overnight=-1.2 the first air frost since 11 March and the warmest night was on the 9th with13.1

Rainfall was rather above average but most fell in the first 3 days with the highest 24 hour total being 21.0mm on 3d

2 ground and one air frost, 2 days with fog at 0900 clock time, no thunder or snow or hail

[reef]

Hedon, East Yorkshire.

October 2010

Warmest Max: 17.6°C (on 05/10/10)

Coldest Max: 8.0°C (on 20/10/10)

Warmest Min: 13.8°C (on 08/10/10)

Coldest Min: 0.9°C (on 25/10/10)

Average Max: 13.6°C (-0.6°C Below 1971-2000 Average)

Average Min: 8.3°C (+0.9°C Above 1971-2000 Average)

Overall Average: 10.9°C (+0.1°C Above 1971-2000 Average)

Rain: 33.6mm (72% Of Normal)

Wettest Day: 3rd (9.2mm)

Air Frosts: 0

Sleet/Snow Falling: 0 days

Snow lying at 0900: 0 days

Dry Days: 10

Wet Days: 21

Days With Rain >1.0mm: 10

Thunderstorms: 0

Year 2010 So Far (Jan - Oct)

Warmest Max: 28.7°C (on 10/07/10)

Coldest Max: 0.4°C (on 04/01/10)

Warmest Min: 18.3°C (on 02/07/10)

Coldest Min: -4.5°C (on 08/03/10)

Average Max: 14.0°C (-0.4°C Below 1971-2000 Average)

Average Min: 7.1°C (-0.1°C Below 1971-2000 Average)

Overall Average: 10.5°C (-0.3°C Below Running 1971-2000 Average)

Rain: 415.4mm (91% Of Normal)

Wettest Day: 22/01/10 (17.5mm)

Air Frosts: 35

Sleet/Snow Falling: 25 days

Snow lying at 0900: 13 days

Dry Days: 122

Wet Days: 180

Days With Rain >1.0mm: 103

Thunderstorms: 3

The third driest October in the last 10 years, but close to average temperatures and sunshine. The first half had a well above average mean of 12.8°C, but was balanced out by a cold second half at 9.2°C.

The month started unsettled but mild with southerly winds and every day from the 2nd - 8th surpassing 15°C. The winds then turned to the east, giving much more cloud and lower temperatures by day, but remaining mild by night. There was a northerly blast just after mid-month, bringing cooler weather. The 20th was a very cold day, reaching only 8.0°C despite clear skies and sunshine throughout. It then turned briefly milder before a second weaker northerly gave two cold days on the 24th and 25th - the latter just missing out on an air frost with a minima of 0.9°C. During the last week of the month it became milder by night as cloud amounts increased, but remained close to average by day.

[Stargazer]

My October stats for central Reading:

Average maximum: 14.3

Average minimum: 8.1

Average for month: 11.2

Highest maximum: 20.6 (October 8 )

Lowest maximum: 8.6 (19)

Highest minimum: 14.2 (9)

Lowest minimum: -0.5 (21)

Rainfall: no data available for this site; Reading University shows around 60mm for the month, which is near normal. October 1 and 3 were particularly wet days.

A changeable month, with average maxima and minima and rainfall all close to normal. Highlights included a particularly sunny spell from October 7 to 11 and some cold days in the second half of the month, with an air frost on Oct 21 and a maximum of only 8.6 on 19.

[Evening thunder]

Stats for October from my weather station in the small village of Harpford, East Devon:

Features included some warm and summer like days from the 8th to the 10th, with warm nights as well, then generally cooler weather after this with some night time frosts (3 air frosts) and a couple quite cold nights for October. Nearly half the monthly rainfall total fell in the first few days with over 20mm falling on the 1st and the 3rd, with strong winds early on the 3rd. There was then a mainly dry spell from the 7th to 23rd. Looking at a nearby station and Met Office data sunshine totals for the month were above normal.

Highest max: 21.1°C, 70.0°F (8th October)

Lowest max: 9.2°C, 48.5°F (14th October)

Highest overnight min: 15.7°C, 60.2°F (night of 8th to 9th October)

Lowest overnight min: -2.8°C, 27.0°F (night of 24-25th October)

Highest daily mean: 17.4°C, 63.3°F (8th October)

Lowest daily mean: 2.7°C, 36.9°F (25th October)

Mean max: 15.1°C, 59.1°F

Mean min: 5.4°C, 41.7°F

Mean: 10.6°C, 51.1°F (about average)

Wettest day: 23.8mm (3rd October)

Monthly total: 105.6mm - note up to a few mm was due to 0.2mm of dew being measured as rain on some days.

Days of thunder heard: 0

Average wind speed: 3.4mph

Max gust: 39mph (3rd October)

October 2010.......................................................Compared to October 2009

Maxes over 20°C: 2.................................................Maxes over 20°C: 0

Mins below 0°C: 3...................................................Mins Below 0°C: 0

Mins below 5°C: 13.................................................Mins below 5°C: 8

Mean Temp: 10.6°C.................................................Mean Temp: 12.0°C

Rain: 105.6mm..........................................................Rain: 90.0mm

Attached is a temperature and daily rainfall graph for October 2010.

[Isolated Frost]

Durham Observatory - Official Statistics for October 2010

Average Maximum: 13.0C (-0.2C)

Average Minimum: 6.0C (-0.3C)

Mean Temperature: 9.5C (-0.3C)

Absolute Maximum: 16.9C (7.10)

Absolute Minimum: -0.7C (25.10)

Absolute Ground Minimum: -5.3C (25.10)

Number of Ground Frosts: 5

Number of Air Frosts: 1

Precipitation: 62.4MM (119%)

Wettest Day: 17.2MM (3.10)

Average Humidity: 84%

Sunshine: 82.8HR (89%)

Sunniest Day: 8.3HR (20.10)

All Comparisons made to 1961-90 Period

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Comments on October 2010

Temperatures were a little below average in October. Nevertheless, the 7th was the warmest October day since 1983. Rainfall was a little above average. The wettest day was the 3rd, making it an unwelcome start for new students arriving at Durham University on “Freshers’ Sundayâ€. The 3-month and 6-month rainfall totals remain about average but the 12-month total is still well above average. Sunshine was just below average and five days recorded none at all.

Overall, the annual total so far is well below average.

Professor Tim Burt

Department of Geography

University of Durham

Thanks to the University of Durham for the Information.