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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
 
Year
             
Highest
   
Lowest
 
Year
       
             
Date
   
Date
         
Date
         
Year
         
Date
         
Year
           
                                                                     
      ºC       ºC       ºC       ºC             Hrs       Hrs         Hrs       Hrs       mm       mm         mm     mm          
                                                                                                                                             
  *Hampstead   16.9   +2.7   10.9   +2.8   20.7   09   05.5   27   00   00   02   07.4   12   095   088   1910   169   1997   050   1976   09   16.1   23   073   118   1910   177   1987   05   1947   02   00   00  
  Thorney Island   17.2   +2.1   11.8   +4.1   19.5   01   03.8   27   01   00   03   08.1   04   132   094   1958   176   1994   076   1963   11   12.8   22   073   092   1941   213   1987   02   1969   00   00   00  
  *Wattisham   16.4   +2.3   10.6   +3.9   20.5   09   05.2   27   00   00   03   09.4   07   103   091   1968   155   1997   055   1976   12   14.0   22   074   149   1960   139   1960   03   1972   03   00   00  
  *Wittering   16.2   +2.5   09.8   +3.1   19.5   10   04.8   25   01   00   04   09.6   07   095   085   1950   165   1959   051   1976   15   20.0   11   067   136   1948   126   1960   04   1978   02   00   01  
                                                                     
  Lyneham   15.9   +2.0   10.4   +3.9   19.9   10   05.5   27   00   00   06   09.7   07   107   096   1952   161   1999   053   1968   12   23.8   19   083   133   1945   176   1949   05   1978   02   00   00  
  Ross-on-Wye   16.2   +2.0   10.1   +3.3   20.0   10   06.0   12   00   00   03   09.2   04   095   095   1915   156   1919   037   1915   09   27.9   01   098   160   1859   216   1907   09   1969   01   00   00  
  *St Athan   16.1   +2.2   11.4   +3.3   19.7   10   04.7   27   00   00   04   08.2   04   078   075   1954   153   1997   045   1968   09   29.2   18   116   126   1954   249   1998   11   1978   00   00   00  
  St Mawgan   15.9   +1.7   11.8   +2.5   17.9   29   07.7   23   00   00   04   08.0   03   112   094   1945   169   1994   051   1968   11   14.8   10   100   101   1944   217   1987   19   1965   00   00   00  
                                                                     
  *Edgbaston   15.2   +2.3   10.3   +3.5   18.5   10   06.7   27   00   00   03   07.8   07   076   076   1887   152   1997   027   1893   09   12.6   22   076   136   1887   191   1998   07   1969   01   00   00  
  *Valley   15.8   +1.7   11.3   +2.2   18.9   18   06.3   16   00   00   04   09.8   09   120   107   1946   151   1965   053   1968   11   27.4   01   123   130   1941   208   2000   09   1947   00   00   00  
  *Woodford   15.5   +2.2   09.5   +2.9   17.4   30   03.1   10   02   00   01   08.0   23   085   082   1945   136   1959   062   1960   03   16.8   25   104   139   1942   191   2000   14   1946   00   00   00  
  *Watnall   15.3   +1.6   10.0   +3.3   17.6   10   04.6   25   01   00   04   08.3   07   070   063   1948   133   1995   045   1960   08   18.2   25   077   155   1942   143   1960   08   1947   01   00   00  
                                                                     
  *Leeming   15.7   +2.2   09.5   +3.0   18.4   06   03.2   10   01   00   08   07.1   29   073   074   1945   144   1981   047   2005   09   22.2   25   078   145   1945   134   2004   07   1962   01   00   01  
  *Boulmer   14.9   +2.2   09.4   +2.5   18.0   28   04.2   27   00   00   08   09.2   13   086   080   1945   156   1986   046   2005   06   21.6   25   079   123   1945   159   2002   07   1985   00   00   00  
  *Eskdalemuir   13.4   +1.8   07.6   +3.0   16.8   01   -00.2   24   04   01   07   05.2   04   048   057   1911   130   1959   037   2005   02   39.0   25   159   106   1911   331   1967   12   1951   00   00   00  
  *Bishopton   14.5   +1.5   08.2   +1.9   18.7   01   03.3   16   02   00   06   07.3   12   062   071   1921   138   1993   030   1940   03   27.6   25   133   128   1921   266   1995   20   1951   00   00   00  
                                                                     
  *Leuchars   14.4   +1.5   08.2   +2.2   17.0   13   02.5   27   06   00   05   07.3   12   077   070   1922   152   1986   048   1960   12   26.8   25   104   175   1922   183   2004   05   1951   00   00   00  
  *Dyce   13.9   +1.5   08.9   +3.0   17.2   09   02.6   05   02   00   10   08.6   13   070   070   1941   156   1986   030   1960   09   25.0   25   139   169   1941   230   2002   08   1985   00   00   00  
  *Stornoway   13.5   +1.6   09.5   +2.8   17.6   11   04.3   27   01   00   09   09.0   10   048   058   1880   135   1898   034   1921   05   25.6   25   169   124   1943   231   1989   19   1946   00   00   00  
  *Aldergrove   14.5   +1.7   09.5   +2.4   17.6   30   04.7   10   00   00   08   08.9   09   086   099   1927   117   1939   049   1954   11   20.8   25   069   078   1927   176   1976   19   1951   00   00   00  
                                                                     
                                                                                                                                             
  Stations marked with an asterisk record sunshine electronically; comparisons      
  with earlier records are therefore somewhat speculative.   Thorney Island's      
  sunshine figures are made at a nearby site.