October 2011 Summary

Summary:
October 2011 started dry, fine and warm, but soon became cloudier and cooler for the remainder of the month.
As will be seen below, the exceptional temperatures experienced in the south-east, did not apply here. Infact, October 2011 was nothing special at all!
Although mainly dry at first and around the middle of the month, the second week was annoyingly damp, and the last week was very wet.

Minimum:
Night-time temperatures ranged from 6.0 degs C on the night of the 25th/26th, to 15.5 degs C on the night of the 4th/5th, which was the equal third highest October night-time temperature ever at this location*
The average minimum temperature for the month was 11.64 degs C, making it overall the third warmest October [nights] since at least 2003.
Nights in October 2011 were also, on average, warmer than those in April and May 2011.

Maximum:
Temperatures exceeded 19 degs C on the first 5 days of the month, peaking at 20.1 on the 2nd. This was the 2nd highest October temperature ever at this location* - the highest being 20.2 degs C recorded on the 29th[!] in 2006.
These are the only two occasions where the temperature has exceeded 20 degs C in October.*
Despite the media attention focussed on the unusually high temperatures at the beginning of the month, those values did not apply here.
The coldest day of the month was the 28th, a mostly sunny day with light winds, however the temperature only reached 12.7 degs C, which was the coldest day since 19th March, and the coldest October day since the 31st in 2008.
The average maximum for the month turned out to be 16.47 degs C, which was half way down [and up] in the chart of the last 9, and was, despite the media coverage, lower than the average maximum for April 2011!

Rainfall:
112.8 mm of rain fell during the month - the most since January 2011, and the most for October since at least 2007.
This compares with 72.3 mm in September 2011, and 98.1 mm in October 2010.
The wettest individual day was the 24th, with 39.5 mm. This was the wettest day since 12th June, and the wettest ever October day at this location.**
There were 9 completely dry days, the least of any October since at least 2007.
The first three days, with no measurable rain, when added to the last 4 of September, made a dry spell of 7 days, and only 3.9 mm of measurable rain fell from the 7th to the 23rd.
The last 8 days of the month saw 99.5 mm of rain.

* = Since at least 2002.
**= Since at least 2007.