Coldest October Maximum In The Uk?

[forecaster]

Not sure exactly where this topic belongs, please move if incorrect.

On April 30th, Campbell Island had a maximum of only 3.2C.

It's a spot of land way to the south of New Zealand, on a similar latitude to Birmingham. It's climate would be enough to drive most members here to madness - a mere 700 hours of annual sunshine hours (half of London), and average summer highs of only 12C.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbell_Island,_New_Zealand

Given that the sea is still relatively warm (maybe 9C) in April, and that the island clearly has a maritime climate, the maximum of only 3.2C I think is quite impressive.

I'd like to compare that with the lowest maximum in the UK for the equivalent month of October, if possible.

[knocker]

I've really no idea but the end of October 2008 broke the lowest daily max at a number of stations.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/interesting/28_30october2008/

[spindrift1980]

Not sure exactly where this topic belongs, please move if incorrect.

On April 30th, Campbell Island had a maximum of only 3.2C.

It's a spot of land way to the south of New Zealand, on a similar latitude to Birmingham. It's climate would be enough to drive most members here to madness - a mere 700 hours of annual sunshine hours (half of London), and average summer highs of only 12C.

http://en.wikipedia....nd,_New_Zealand

Given that the sea is still relatively warm (maybe 9C) in April, and that the island clearly has a maritime climate, the maximum of only 3.2C I think is quite impressive.

I'd like to compare that with the lowest maximum in the UK for the equivalent month of October, if possible.

According to the Met Office, the record low October maximum for the UK is 0.4C on 17 October 1973 at Glenmore Lodge, Inverness-shire.

Glenmore Lodge is an outdoor centre SE of Aviemore in the Cairngorms (central Highlands of Scotland) which sits in a valley at about 350m asl, just north of extensive mountain plateaux rising to 1300m. There will have been many, many days in October over the years, however, where temperatures on the Cairngorm plateaux at 1200m-1300m asl won't have come anywhere near rising above freezing, but the Met O appear not to include mountain readings (such as Cairn Gorm summit) in their records of daily/monthly low temperatures.

The climate features of Campbell Island which you describe sound not unlike the Orkney or Shetland Islands north of the British mainland.

Edited May 18, 2012 by spindrift1980

[forecaster]

Thanks for that. 3.2C is not too bad an effort then for an exposed island with no land for hundreds of miles.