October 2003

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

Mean daily maximum: 13.0
Difference from average: -0.2

Mean daily minimum: 5.0
Difference from average: -1.3

Mean air temperature: 9.0
Difference from average: -0.8

Absolute maximum: 17.9 (2nd)

Absolute minimum: -0.6 (22nd)

Mean grass minimum: 3.0

Absolute grass minimum: -1.6 (22nd)

Number of ground frosts: 5

Number of air frosts: 2

Mean soil temperature at 30cm depth: 10.7

Mean soil temperature at 100cm depth: 13.0

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

Results not yet available

Humidity
(Averages for 09:00 hours GMT)

Relative Humidity: 78.9%

Sunshine
(all averages 1961 – 1990)

Total for the month: 109.1 hours
Difference from average: +16

Percentage of the average: 117%

Mean daily sunshine: 3.5 hours
Difference from average: +0.5

Sunniest day: 8.7 hours (7th)

Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 3

Cumulative total sunshine since 1st January: 1361.4 hours
Difference from average: +145.9

Wind

The mean wind speed: 11.4km/h [5kt]
Difference from average: -0.6km/hr

The highest gust: 68.5km/h [37kt] from 259° at 14.48 GMT on 6th.

ISSN1350-483

Comments on October 2003
October was cooler than expected, particularly at night. The mean air temperature was the lowest October figure since 1994.

October was a relatively sunny month, and total hours of bright sunshine for the year remain well above average. It was the sunniest October since 1998.

Only 0.4mm rainfall was recorded during the month. This suggests a fault with the gauge and I will hope to report in due course when we have investigated.

Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University