October 2012 overall was a ‘classic’ October. Changeable
and often rainy. As has been the case for most of the last seven months, it was wetter than average, with a total rainfall of 137.7mm. This was the highest total for October since 2006. The difference is in that year it was a warm month.  The month had several days with significant falls of rain, the highest individual total was for the 5th with just over 15mm. Seven days had totals above 10mm, and there were only four completely dry days. An interesting point is that for such a wet month, so few days recorded the prevailing Southwesterly wind, which at this time of year draws in lots of moisture from the still warm ocean. The last fortnight however did become less rainy, with only 7.5mm recorded between the 19th & 30th. Trick or treaters would know that the 31st was not to be included!

October was also colder than average. In fact the coldest
for four years, with a mean temperature around 10.6C. For the first time since 2004, no day recorded a maximum temperature above 20C. The highest reading occured on the 1st with 18.5C. Although I have recorded colder nights in many other Octobers, the minimum temperature of -1.6C on the 14th was the earliest low. Fortunately, my low reading minimum exaggerates the figure downwards, and many summer flower plants and runner beans were left undamaged here. However, the maximum temperature of just 8.6C on 26th was the lowest such since 1999. The fall of nearly nine degrees on the previous day’s high was also notable. To put this reading into context, there was no day as cold as this in November 2011, just three colder in December 2011, and five in January 2012!

After the dismally wet and chilly summer, Autumn has
continued the trend. The weather prior to that cold day was consistently cloudy, but mild, as if desperately trying to hold on to the warmer half of the year, before losing hold to plunge into early winter conditions.

Peter at Pottlelake