November 2014

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

Mean daily maximum: 10.1
Difference from average:

Mean daily minimum: 5.1
Difference from average:

Mean air temperature: 7.6
Difference from average:

Absolute maximum: 15.9 (1st)

Absolute minimum: -0.5 (6th)

Mean grass minimum: 3.7

Absolute grass minimum: -2.2 (4th)

Number of ground frosts: 6

Number of air frosts: 2

Mean soil temperature at 30cm depth: 9.9

Mean soil temperature at 100cm depth: 11.4

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

Total for the month: 64.0
Difference from average: +2.0

Percentage of the average: 103%

Wettest day: 16.2 (14th)

Number of rain days (>0.25mm): 18

Number of wet days (=> 1mm): 14

3-month total rainfall to 30th November: 125.8
Difference from average: -46.2

6-month rainfall total to 30th November: 309.8
Difference from average: -36.4

12-month rainfall total to 30th November: 671.4
Difference from average: +22.4

Humidity
(averages for 09:00 hours GMT)

Relative Humidity:

Sunshine
(all averages 1961 – 1990)

Total for the month: 51.9 hours
Difference from average: -14.2

Percentage of the average: 72%

Mean daily sunshine: 1.7 hours
Difference from average: -0.5

Sunniest day: 5.9 hours (9th)

Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 5

Cumulative total sunshine since 1st January: 1194.1 hours
Difference from average: -135.1

ISSN1350-483

Comments on November 2014
This was the 9th equal warmest November on record since 1850 (with 1881, 1917 and 1997). The mean maximum was the 10th warmest on record (since 1900) whilst the mean minimum was the 5th equal warmest on record (with 1951); the record breaker for mean minimum in November is 2011 (5.8°C). There were only 2 air frosts and 6 ground frosts.

The average air temperature to the end of November 2014 is the 9th warmest 12-month period on record at Durham (i.e. since December 1850, n=1969). Other than 8 months in 2007, the only warmer 12-month period has been to the end of February 2012. Only August 2014 has been below average temperature in the last 12 months.

Rainfall was a little above average and sunshine just below average.

For autumn as a whole, it was the 3rd equal warmest on record (11.1°C). The autumn mean maximum (14.4°C) was the 4th equal warmest on record and the autumn mean minimum was also 4th warmest. It was a dry autumn, but only the driest since 2011; it was the 32nd driest autumn since 1850. Hours of bright sunshine were a little below average for autumn; it was the dullest autumn since 2004.

Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University