November 2005

Temperatures
(all temperatures in degrees Celsius; all averages 1961 – 1990)

Mean daily maximum: 9.6
Difference from average: +0.9

Mean daily minimum: 2.4
Difference from average: -0.4

Mean air temperature: 6.0
Difference from average: +0.3

Absolute maximum: 15.6 (3rd)

Absolute minimum: -4.6 (23rd)

Mean grass minimum: 0.4

Absolute grass minimum: -6.5 (19th)

Number of ground frosts: 16

Number of air frosts: 11

Mean soil temperature at 30cm depth: 8.2

Mean soil temperature at 100cm depth: 11.0

Rainfall
(all totals in millimetres; all averages 1961 – 1990)

Total for the month: 73.2
Difference from average: +11.2

Percentage of the average: 118%

Wettest days: 11 (25th & 26th)

Number of rain days (>0.25mm): 16

Number of wet days (=> 1mm): 13

3-month total rainfall to 30th November: 211
Difference from average: +41

6-month rainfall total to 30th November: 358.9
Difference from average: +18.1

12-month rainfall total to 30th November: 565.5
Difference from average: -83.5

Humidity
(Averages for 09:00 hours GMT)

Relative Humidity: 84.4%

Sunshine
(all averages 1961 – 1990)

Total for the month: 92.8 hours
Difference from average: +26.7

Percentage of the average: 140%

Mean daily sunshine: 3.1 hours
Difference from average: +0.9

Sunniest day: 6.6 hours (13th)

Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 5

Cumulative total sunshine since 1st January: 1279 hours
Difference from average: -4.7

Wind

The mean wind speed: 14.1km/h [7.6kt]
Difference from average: +0.6km/hr

The highest gust: 107.4km/h [58kt] from 183° at 13:58 GMT on 11th

ISSN1350-483

Comments on November 2005
November was a cool month by recent standards, still a little above the 1961-90 average, but nevertheless the coolest since 1998. It was, in many ways, a more traditional November, some colder air mixed in with the milder westerlies. An indication of the variable weather was that, in addition to 16 ground frosts, there were also 16 rain days. It was mild at the beginning of the month, but very cold later on. The daytime maximum on the 23rd was only 2°C! The changeable weather was also reflected in the temporal distribution of rainfall: wet at the beginning and very end, but dry during the cold period. The three and six-month totals are again above average, but the 12-month total remains well below average. Sunshine was above average; indeed there was more bright sunshine than in October. This brought the cumulative sunshine total for 2005 almost back to the average level.

There was a notable gust on the afternoon of the 11th which was a very windy day indeed: 107.4 km/h [58 kt] from a southerly direction.

Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University