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November 2008

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

Mean daily maximum: 9.2
Difference from average: +0.5

Mean daily minimum: 3.7
Difference from average: +0.9

Mean air temperature: 6.5
Difference from average: +0.8

Absolute maximum: 15.6 (27th)

Absolute minimum: -5.0 (29th)

Mean grass minimum: 1.0

Absolute grass minimum: – 11.0 (29th)

Number of ground frosts: 12

Number of air frosts: 6

Mean soil temperature at 30cm depth: 7.9

Mean soil temperature at 100cm depth: 10.3

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

Total for the month: 40.8
Difference from average: -21.2

Percentage of the average: 66%

Wettest day: 9.0 (9th)

Number of rain days (>0.25mm): 16

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

3-month total rainfall to 30th November: 204.2
Difference from average: +34.1

6-month rainfall total to 30th November: 500.7
Difference from average: +160.2

12-month rainfall total to 30th November: 811.3
Difference from average: +162.3

Humidity
(Averages for 09:00 hours GMT)

Relative Humidity: 82%

Sunshine
(all averages 1961 – 1990)

Total for the month: 81.1 hours
Difference from average: +15.0

Percentage of the average: 123%

Mean daily sunshine: 2.7 hours
Difference from average: +0.5

Sunniest Day: 6.3 hours (28th)

Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 4

Cumulative total sunshine since 1st January: 1279.7 hours
Difference from average: -3.9

Wind

The mean wind speed: 14.3km/h [7.7kt]
Difference from average: +0.1km/hr

The highest gust: 74.4km\h [40.19kt] from 187° at 10:47 GMT on 11th

ISSN1350-483

Comments on November 2008
Although November ended on a very cold note after some very mild days in the middle of the month, the mean air temperature of 6.5°C was still the 121st highest in 159 years. Nevertheless, the 12-month running mean temperature fell to 9.28°C, the lowest since December 2001. The end of the month saw great contrasts in weather: there was a maximum temperature of 15.6°C on the 27th but a maximum of only 1.5°C on the 30th.  The minimum air temperature of 8.2°C on the 27th was followed only two nights later by a minimum of -5°C! Rainfall was below average for the month, but the 6- and 12-month totals remained well above average. It was the 13th sunniest November since 1882 but the November total (81.1 hours) was exceeded as recently as 2005. 1947 was the sunniest November at Durham with 120 hours.

Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University