October 2012 Statistics and Summary

[Gibby]

Here's a look back at the highlights and lowlights of October 2012 here in Radstock. The month was marked by several different factors than October's past.

Firstly the mean temperature for the month was just 9.8C making it a colder than average month by 1.7C when taking the Octobers between 2000-2012. It was the second coldest October here beaten only by the October of 2003 when the average was just a very chilly 9.3C.

Secondly it was a fairly wet month once more though not exceptionally so with the Rainfall total for Radstock at 117.6mm or 4.70 inches in old money. There were four wetter Octobers since the Millenium with 165mm in Oct 2000, a massive 201mm in October 2001, 130mm in October 2003 and 130mm of rain in October 2004. A very high rainfall rate was experienced over the town in a brief but torrential downpour on the 17th when a rate of 165.0mm/hr was recorded, much of which fell as pea sized hail.

Thirdly it was a very dull month, exceptionally so really with just 55hrs and 36minutes of direct sunshine over the month. This is 28hrs short of the average October sunshine recoded in the October's since 2000. There was an amazing 14 days of no sunshine recorded at all which is a record for a month even in the deepest of winter months when daylight hours are few. There was a period of 5 consecutive totally dull days and nights between the 22nd and 26th making for a very depressing spell.

Fourthly winds were much less of a talking point with some quite windy days but no exceptional damaging wind gusts recorded. The maximum of 36mph was recorded in the early hours of the 1st but there were quite a few occasions when this speed was approached but not surpassed. The direction showed a predominance towards a Westerly or South-Westerly biased at 49% though winds between East and South also registered a 39% total of the months time.

There was just one air frost through the month with the total of 1 hour and 42mins when the temperature stayed below zero on the early morning of the 27th. No fog or thunder was experienced over Radstock through the month but a notable if brief hail storm occurred on the lunchtime period of the 17th with a carpet of 4mm hail stones covering the ground briefly as a strong shower passed NE over the town.

Full data and statistics can be found on my website.

Edited November 1, 2012 by Gibby

[johnholmes]

Yes a cooler than average month here, all 3 measures below the long term average. Only June this year had an Avge Max below as well.

Also a fairly wet month and a fairly unique happening here some snowflakes in a wintry shower Saturday 27 October and NOT hail.

Mean T=9.8(-0.7)

Avge Max=13.3(-1.0): highest daytime=17.1 on 2nd and lowest=8.2 on 26th

Avge Min=6.3(-0.5): Lowest overnight=1.1 on 27th and warmest night=12.1 on 24th

Total rainfall=45.0 mm with the wettest day=12.0 mm on 12th; 17 days with 1.0 mm or more and 17 with 0.2mm or more

no fog or thunder, 1 day with sleet, 2 ground frosts and no air frosts.

[Stargazer]

My statistics for central Reading in October 2012:

Average maximum: 13.2

Average minimum: 7.6

Average for month: 10.4

Highest maximum: 17.0 (October 1)

Lowest maximum: 8.5 (27)

Highest minimum: 11.5 (1 & 22)

Lowest minimum: 0.7 (14)

Air frosts: none; ground frosts: 2. No thunder or wintry precipitation observed.

Rainfall: no data available for this site; Reading University shows around 125mm for the month, around twice the long-term average, so another very wet month. There were only 5 days with no rain recorded.

Overall a cold and wet month with temperatures around 1 deg C below average and rainfall 100% above normal. The first half of the month was particularly wet, with 25mm recorded on the 17th and several days with 5mm+. The second half being characterised by foggy days with drizzle and near-average temperatures followed by a generally cold and showery few days at the end of the month.

[Aaron]

Mean: 8.0°C

Mean max: 11.5°C

Mean min: 4.2°C

Max temperature: 15.6°C

Min temperature: 0.4°C

Rainfall: 58.2mm

Days with rain: 17

Days with rain >1mm: 12

Most in one day: 12.4mm

Days with snow falling: 2

Sunshine: 114 hours

A cold month but sunnier than average and rainfall probably slightly below average. No air frost this month, but a few ground frosts.

Edited November 1, 2012 by Aaron

[Richard2901]

The 7th consecutive colder than average month and one of the coldest Octobers on record for the Aberdeen area. Only 1926, 1932, 1974, 1981 and 1992 were colder in the last 100 years.

The first third of the month was very sunny and dry but the remainder was awful with only some frosts on the 16th/17th, a mild sunny day on the 21st and an unusually heavy snowfall on the 26th providing any relief from the monotony of constant grey skies, drizzle/light rain and below average temperatures.

Only 4 days (1st, 7th, 20th and 21st) recorded maxima above average and since 1st April an astounding 162 out of 214 days have recorded below average maxima. This has resulted in the mean maximum for April to October 2012 being the coldest for this period during the post-war era, beating 1951 by 0.1C.

Mean Max: 10.1 (-1.9)

Mean Min: 4.0 (-2.0)

Mean: 7.1 (-1.9)

Highest Max: 14.0 (1st, 21st)

Lowest Max: 4.5 (26th)

Highest Min: 9.9 (12^th)

Lowest Min: -1.8 (17th)

Air Frosts: 3

Air Frost Duration: 11.5 hrs

Rainfall: 83.4mm (101%)

Rain Days: 21

Wet Days: 13

Sunshine: 108.6 hrs (105%) [1st -10th: 68.2hrs, 11th-31st: 40.4hrs]

Sunniest Day: 9.8hrs (7th)

Sunless days: 6

[TonyH]

October 2012, Lampeter, Ceredigion, Wales

Quite cool, unsettled

1^st – 11^th: Unsettled with rain or showers on most days. The rain, not often heavy until 11^th when 25mm fell. Temperatures cool to average (12 to 15c). Dry, bright interlude 6^th /7^th with some fog and frost.

12^th – 18^th: Very unsettled, quite cool and windy at times. Frequent rain or showers, heavy at times. Slight air frost 14^th.

19^th – 25^th: Mild to very mild and mainly dry. A rather cloudy spell after the 21^st, although some warm sunny intervals raised temperature to 16.9c on the 24^th.

26^th and 27^th: Dry and very cool, sunny latter, sharp frost 27^th minimum of -3.7c.

28^th – 31^st: Cool with rain at times, some very heavy, windy 31^st.

Total rainfall: 149.9mm

Wettest day: 24.5mm 11^th

Rain days >0.2mm: 24

Wet days >1.0mm: 18

Days of heavy rain >10mm: 6

Mean temperature: 9.2c

Mean Max: 13.0c

Mean Min: 5.4c

High Max: 16.9c 24^th

Low Max: 8.1c 27^th

High Min: 11.8c 23^rd and 24^th

Low Min: -3.7c 27^th

Air frost: 4

Ground frost: 8

Mean RH: 90%

High RH: 99% various

Low RH: 60%

Predominant wind directions: SSE

Mean pressure: 1009mbar

Max pressure: 1025mbar 23^rd

Min pressure: 976mbar 31^st

Days with:

Hail: 1

Gale: 0

Thunder: 1

Lightning only: 1

Fog: 2

Fog at 0900: 1

Edited November 1, 2012 by TonyH

[Stargazer]

The first third of the month was very sunny and dry but the remainder was awful with only some frosts on the 16th/17th, a mild sunny day on the 21st and an unusually heavy snowfall on the 26th providing any relief from the monotony of constant grey skies, drizzle/light rain and below average temperatures.

Sounds just like the weather we had here, Richard - except we missed out on the snow and the sunny and dry bit

[Styx]

HOBART is Tasmania's capital, situated at sealevel on an estuary, and backed by 1270m/4200ft mountain range

October - Mid Spring

Weak cold fronts crossed Tasmania at 3 or 4 day intervals, bringing a few brief showers to Hobart, which were more prolonged at times during follow up high pressure ridging of an onshore south-south east nature. A whole year has now passed without a below average temperature month ( 1981-2010 av comparison ).

Average maximum: 17.5 ( +0.2 )

Average minimum: 8.2 ( -0.1 )

Rainfall: 29mm ( Average 62mm )

October daily temperature extremes

Highest maximum: 28.6 ( Record 34.6 in 1987 )

Lowest maximum: 11.2 ( Record 6.0 in 1958 )

Highest minimum: 12.6 ( Record 20.2 in 1933 )

Lowest minimum: 3.6 ( Record 0.0 in 1889 )

[leehws]

October 2012 - Colwyn Bay

Temperature -

Mean: 9.4C

Mean Maximum: 13.3C (-1.0)

Mean Minimum: 6.0C (-2.1)

Maximum: 17.2C (1st)

Minimum: 1.1C (14th)

Lowest Maximum: 8.6C (26th)

Highest Minimum: 11.6C (24th)

Rain -

Total Rainfall: 81.8mm (84.5%)

Wettest Day: 11th – 18.8mm

Rain Days: 23

Wind -

Highest Gust: 19mph (31st)

Average Speed: 0.6mph

Edited November 2, 2012 by leehws

[SP1986]

October 2012 Statistics

October was a month characterised by slightly above average rainfall, slightly below average maximum temperatures and well below average minimum temperatures. The Minimum temperature were the coldest on my records by a long way (details below)

Below are the statistics for my weather station during the month of October.

Mean Maximum: 13.3C

Mean Minimum: 6.7C

Overall Mean: 10.0C

Monthly Rainfall total: 56.7mm

Rainfall days: 14

Max rainfall in one day: 11.9 (11th October)

Highest daily maximum temperature: 16.9C (20th October)

Lowest daily maximum temperature: 9.2C (27th October)

Highest daily minimum temperature: 11.6C (23rd October)

Lowest daily minimum temperature: 0.2C (27th October)

Days with Ground Frost: 2

Days with Air Frost: 0

Days of falling snow: 0

Days of lying snow: 0

Thunder days: 0

Temperature frequency breakdown

Maximum temperature:

5.0C to 9.9C: 2 days

10.0C to 14.9C: 21 days

15.0C to 19.9C: 8 days

Minimum temperature:

0.0C to 4.9C: 5 days

5.0C to 9.9C: 22 days

10.0C to 14.9C: 4 days

Compared to the October CET (81-10 average = 10.7), my average comes in at 0.7C below the CET average, making it a below average month