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graphs      CLIMATE-UK.COM'S  REVIEW  OF  THE  BRITISH  METEOROLOGICAL  SCENE
     MONTHLY  SUMMARY
     No. 610 For   OCTOBER  2006
               CONSISTENTLY WARM BUT UNSETTLED WITH SOME HEAVY FALLS OF RAIN
Text Box: Last month continued the recent trend towards warmer and wetter Octobers. It also continued the sequence of abnormally warm months during 2006 such that the September-October pair and the summer half year (May to October) both broke previous records for warmth by a wide margin. Apart from a brief anticyclonic spell mid-month, low pressure dominated the weather throughout October bringing heavy falls of rain to nearly all parts of the country at regular intervals. As in September, frequent southerly winds were responsible for the consistent warmth which was particularly well-marked at night; averaged over England and Wales there have been just six cooler-than-average days since the end of August. A depression in the Southwest Approaches tracked north-eastwards across the country during the first three days bringing rather warm weather with sunny spells and sharp showers, occasionally accompanied by thunder, and there were longer periods of heavy rain in western and northern regions. As the wind veered briefly into the northwest skies cleared, giving Portland (Dorset) 10.2h sunshine on the 3rd, while overnight 3rd/4th there was a widespread ground frost and local air frost with -0.6°C logged at Kinbrace (Sutherland). A vigorous depression brought heavy rain and strong winds to all parts of the country on the 5th and 6th; Capel Curig (Snowdonia) collected 46mm on the 5th, with 143mm in the 10-day period ending on the 6th. The 7th was a bright, breezy day with showers chiefly in the north. Pressure now rose strongly to the east of Britain, and a very warm but unsettled southerly flow developed over the country. Patchy fog formed at night, and there were sporadic outbreaks of rain and thunder; North Wyke (Devon) collected 36mm on the 10th. The temperature climbed to 23°C at St Peter Port (Guernsey) on the 9th and 21.6°C at Pershore (Worcs) on the 10th, while the following night an abnormally high minimum of 17.3°C was logged at Lee-on-Solent (Hants). Atlantic fronts crossed the country overnight 11th/12th followed by a renewed rise of pressure; this resulted in an anticyclone settling over southern Scandinavia until the 16th with a brisk south-
Text Box: easterly flow covering the British Isles. Most parts of the country were dry with sunny periods after the clearance of early-morning fog, and afternoon temperatures were typically around 18-20°C. Early on the 16th, however, a minimum of -1.8°C was reported from Glenlivet (Banffshire) - the month’s lowest. From the 17th-26th depressions tracked north-eastwards across the British Isles bringing copious amounts of rain and occasional strong winds, but temperatures remained above the seasonal norm. Dunkeswell (Devon) recorded 50mm on the 18th/19th, Lake Vyrnwy (Montgomeryshire) 50mm on the 21st, and Tiree (Inner Hebrides) 52mm on the 24th. The depression of the 25th/26th was particularly intense, and north-easterly winds gusted to 77kn at Wick (Caithness) and 74kn at Lerwick (Shetland) while 117mm of rain fell in 48h at Rackwick (Orkney) and 98mm at Altnaharra (Sutherland). A trawler was lost with all hands in the North Sea. A south-westerly flow developed from the 27th-30th bringing further substantial falls of rain to the north and west, but with relatively high pressure over the near-continent rainfall amounts in the Southeast were small. It remained warm with 20°C approached at Canterbury and Margate on the 26th and at Hereford on the 30th. It turned cooler as the wind veered northwesterly on the 31st. This was the third warmest October on record, as measured by the CET; only those of 2001 and 2005 were warmer. Mean maximum temperature ranged from 0.5degC above normal in northeast Scotland to 3degC above in the London area and the Channel Islands; mean minimum temperature ranged from 1degC above in northeast Scotland to 4degC above locally in southern England. Rainfall was well-above average in most parts of the country especially in northeast Scotland where two to three times the normal amount fell; below-average rainfall was confined to parts of Northern Ireland and western Scotland, and isolated coastal locations elsewhere. Sunshine aggregates were well below average over the Scottish mainland, much of northern England, the Midlands and east Wales, and the total of 45 hours at Eskdalemuir (Dumfriesshire) was little more than half the local norm.
                                                                                                                                             
                       TEMPERATURE                                SUNSHINE                             RAINFALL                                                       
                                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                     
                                          Highest and lowest totals                     Highest and lowest totals        
                                              on record for month    
Maximum fall in 24 hrs (beginning 09 h)
                    on record for month    
Days with snow or sleet
 
Days with fog (Vis <220 yards at 09 h)
 
                                                                                         
     
Difference from average
   
Difference from average
 
Highest maximum
   
Lowest minimum
   
No. of days with grass minimum below 0ºC
   
Days of no sunshine
 
Maximum duration
       
First year of record
         
Days of no rainfall (0.1 mm or less)
         
First year of record
         
Days with thunder
     
       PLACE  
Mean Maximum
   
Mean minimum
             
No. of air frosts
       
Total for month
                   
Total for month
                   
                               
% of average
                   
% of average
                 
                                                                     
                                   
Highest
   
Lowest