November 2006

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

Mean daily maximum: 11.1
Difference from average: +2.4

Mean daily minimum: 4.5
Difference from average: +1.7

Mean air temperature: 7.8
Difference from average: +2.1

Absolute maximum: 13.9 (8th)

Absolute minimum: -0.8 (3rd)

Mean grass minimum: 1.0

Absolute grass minimum: -4.4 (3rd)

Number of ground frosts: 17

Number of air frosts: 1

Mean soil temperature at 30cm depth: 8.7

Mean soil temperature at 100cm depth: 11.0

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

Total for the month: 86.6
Difference from average: +24.6

Percentage of the average: 140%

Wettest day: 22.2 (16th)

Number of rain days (>0.25mm): 15

Number of wet days (=> 1mm): 11

3-month total rainfall to 30th November: 176.4
Difference from average: +6.3

6-month rainfall total to 30th November: 256
Difference from average: -84.5

12-month rainfall total to 30th November: 526.5
Difference from average: -122.5

Humidity
(Averages for 09:00 hours GMT)

Relative Humidity: 80.5%

Sunshine
(all averages 1961 – 1990)

Total for the month: 78.9 hours
Difference from average: +12.8

Percentage of the average: 119%

Mean daily sunshine: 2.6 hours
Difference from average: +0.4

Sunniest day: 6.7 hours (1st)

Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 3

Cumulative total sunshine since 1st January: 1292.9 hours
Difference from average: +9.3

Wind

The mean wind speed: 16.7km/h [9.0kt]
Difference from average: +2.5km/hr

The highest gust: 74.1km/h [40kt] from 195° at 19:09 GMT on 22nd

ISSN1350-483

Comments on November 2006
This was the 4th warmest November on record since 1850, the warmest since 1994 (the record holder – 8.4°C) and only otherwise exceeded in1899 and 1938. Both mean maximum and mean minimum were well above the long-term average. As a result of yet another very warm month, 2006 has had the warmest autumn on record at Durham since records began, beating the previous record (2001) by a massive 0.9°C! It was 1.3°C warmer than the very warm autumn last year, which now ranks only 6th on the all-time list.

It was a wet month, well above average. Despite protestations from newly arrived students about how much it rains in Durham, it was not in any way exceptional – it was the wettest November only since 2000, when almost twice as much rain fell! Thirty two Novembers have been wetter since 1852. The 3-month total has been average for the (autumn) period, but the 6-month and 12-month totals remain well below average.

It was a sunnier month than normal, sunnier indeed than October. It was also a windy month, particularly towards the end of the month.

Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University