The weather in October

October was a remarkably fine and dry month over the whole of the UK. As a result it seemed mild, but temperatures were actually close to average. The settled conditions were caused by a blocked pattern in the atmosphere in which the “normal” westerly winds were held at bay by a blocking high pressure system that lingered for much of the month. This pattern has characterised recent Octobers. Due to the high frequency of easterly winds, the north and west was favoured for sunshine and dryness, in contrast to recent months.

Temperatures

The average Central England temperature was 0.2C above the 1981-2010 average, although such has been the warming in recent decades that it was around one degree warmer than the historic average from 1659. In Scotland, the anomaly was +1.4C, mainly due to warm days in north-west Scotland. This warmth was particularly noticeable in the first week in south-easterly winds, though nights were cold at times in the Highlands. The highest temperature of the month was 22.2C at Trawscoed, Ceredigion on 31 October. The lowest temperature was –5.0C at Tulloch Bridge, near Fort William, on 25 October.

Rainfall

The England and Wales rainfall total was just 43mm, or 44% of average. The equivalent figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland were 37% and 40%, respectively. Rainfall was below average except very locally in Norfolk and Lincolnshire. Shoeburyness in Essex and Kinloss in Moray both had only about 16mm in the whole month. Unsurprisingly, heavy rainfall events were rare. Thundery showers on the east coast on 1 and 2 October gave 31mm of rain at Weybourne, Norfolk in 24 hours. A frontal system nudged north from France on 25 October giving 37mm at Plymouth in a 24 hour period.

Sunshine

Northern Scotland was very sunny in the first week. Lerwick, Shetland, recorded over twice the average sunshine in the month with 132 hours of sunshine. This total was beaten only by Anglesey as the sunniest place in the UK. Sunshine was fairly close to average across much of central and eastern England but was above average in other parts of the UK.

Winds

With high pressure either over the UK or over Scandinavia, strong winds were remarkably absent in October. Winds were mostly south-easterly in the first ten days, more variable mid-month as the weather became unsettled and then light and variable later in the month.

Julian Mayes MeteoGroup