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October 2014

October 2014

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

Mean daily maximum: 14.9
Difference from average: +1.7

Mean daily minimum: 8.4
Difference from average: +2.1

Mean air temperature: 11.7
Difference from average: +1.9

Absolute maximum: 19.1 (2nd)

Absolute minimum: 2.2 (28th)

Mean grass minimum: 6.9

Absolute grass minimum: -0.1 (28th)

Number of ground frosts: 1

Number of air frosts: 0

Mean soil temperature at 30cm depth: 12.7

Mean soil temperature at 100cm depth: 13.5

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

Total for the month: 39.4
Difference from average: -13.2

Percentage of the average: 75%

Wettest day: 10.6 (15th)

Number of rain days (>0.25mm): 9

Number of wet days (=> 1mm): 7

3-month total rainfall to 31st October: 134.6
Difference from average: -37.4

6-month rainfall total to 31st October: 327.4
Difference from average: -18.8

12-month rainfall total to 31st October: 665.0
Difference from average: -6.0

Humidity
(averages for 09:00 hours GMT)

Relative Humidity: 81%

Sunshine
(all averages 1961 – 1990)

Total for the month: 87.4 hours
Difference from average: -5.7

Percentage of the average: 94%

Mean daily sunshine: 2.8 hours
Difference from average: -0.2

Sunniest day: 6.6 hours (11th)

Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 2

Cumulative total sunshine since 1st January: 1142.2 hours
Difference from average: -75.3

ISSN1350-483

Comments on October 2014
After a very warm September, the mild weather continued with the 7th warmest October on record since 1850. October recorded 9th highest mean maximum (data from 1900) and 6th highest mean minimum, although 2001, 2005 and 2006 all had higher mean minima. The 12-month average is now back to 10°C again; only November and August have been below average in the last 12 months.

It was the equal 49th driest October at Durham since 1850, the driest since 2009. Even so, hours of bright sunshine were again below average; this has been the case six months in the last seven.

Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University