November 2015

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

Mean daily maximum: 11.0
Difference from average: +2.3

Mean daily minimum: 5.5
Difference from average: +2.8

Mean air temperature: 8.3
Difference from average: +2.6

Absolute maximum: 17.5 (1st)

Absolute minimum: -1.9 (22nd)

Mean grass minimum: 2.8

Absolute grass minimum: -5.2 (22nd)

Number of ground frosts: 7

Number of air frosts: 2

Mean soil temperature at 30cm depth: 9.6

Mean soil temperature at 100cm depth: 11.0

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

Total for the month: 100.8
Difference from average: +38.8

Percentage of the average: 163%

Wettest day: 13.0 (14th)

Number of rain days (>0.25mm): 19

Number of wet days (=> 1mm): 17

3-month total rainfall to 30th November: 210.0
Difference from average: +38.0

6-month rainfall total to 30th November: 413.6
Difference from average: +67.4

12-month rainfall total to 30th November: 645.0
Difference from average: -4.0

Humidity
(averages for 09:00 hours GMT)

Relative Humidity: 86%

Sunshine
(all averages 1961 – 1990)

Total for the month: 50.3 hours
Difference from average: -15.8

Percentage of the average: 76%

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

Sunniest day: 6.8 hours (1st)

Number of days with no recorded sunshine: 3

Cumulative total sunshine since 1st January: 1245.4 hours
Difference from average: -38.2

ISSN1350-483

Comments on November 2015
This was the third warmest November on record at Durham since 1850 (mean air temperature: 8.3°C), exceeded only by 2011 (8.6°C) and 1994 (8.4°C). The mean maximum was the equal 4th highest on record and the mean minimum was the 2nd highest on record (both since 1900). The absolute maximum of 17.5°C on 1st November was the 3rd warmest November day on record since 1850, beaten only by 2/11/1927 and 4/11/1946 – both with a maximum of 18.9°C. Remarkably, 18 days had a maximum over 10°C; there were two minima over 10°C too, 14.2 on the 10th being particularly notable for November. This was one of only 11 Novembers with just two air frosts, but 5 have had just one and 6 no air frosts at all. Of those 22 Novembers with 2 air frosts or less, seven have been from 2000 onwards.

It was the 21st wettest November since 1850, but five Novembers from 2000 onwards have been wetter. As befits a wet month, it was the 35th least sunny November since 1882, the lowest total since 2002.

Professor Tim Burt
Department of Geography
Durham University