Unfortunately it does not follow that a warm month will also be settled and dry as whilst October may have been especially mild, it was also unsettled, wet, the dullest of any month that I have yet recorded and to date is the wettest month of the year.

   A cyclonic month, especially from the 18th, which apart from a few transitory spells, saw high pressure mainly confined to the 9-13th, giving a MSLP anomaly of -2.9 Mb. One small consolation though was a distinct lack of frost during the month.

   Overall a mean minimum of 8.55°c and a mean maximum of 13.46°c saw the temperature some 1.9°c above the 1981-2010 average, which locally would make it the 11th warmest October since 1914 (with 4 years of missing data).

   Rain was recorded on 26 days, totalling 193.5 mm which represents 174.5% of the October average. At Newton Rigg (146.6 mm) in a series back to 1914, October as been wetter on 40 occasions and drier on 56 (3 years of missing data.)

   Figures from the Enviroment Agency’s rainfall sites were, (figure in brackets being the monthly average for 1961-90): Kirkby Thore 127.6 mm (65.8 mm) , Brothers Water 430.8 mm (276 mm), Nunwick Hall 107.4 mm (85.1 mm) and 502.0 mm at Seathwaite Farm (Borrowdale - 364 mm).

  ‘Data kindly provided by the Hydrometry and Telemetry team of the Enviroment Agency (Penrith)’.

   1st - 8th    A particularly mild start to the month with a south westerly flow lasted through to the 8th, with low pressure (LP) generally in control, although not dominant. This resulted in overcast conditions with rain frequent, particularly the first four days, with only the 5th under a temporary ridge of high pressure (HP) offering any glimpse of something brighter.

   The 2nd-4th saw a succession of fronts associated to the same area of LP in the Atlantic bring spells of heavy rain, notably 21.0 mm on the 3rd, but which at 18.4°c (65.1°f) was also the month's warmest day.

   That HP of the 5th was squeezed south east from the 6th and whilst rainfall totals were insignificant, there was a permanent shroud of cloud and murk. But in those first eight days all day-time and night-time temperatures remained significantly above the seasonal average.

   9th - 13th    It turned cooler from the 9th as HP built over the Atlantic and with LP sitting over Scandinavia, winds from a north westerly quarter were drawn down. Whilst that breeze was cool for several days, the temperatures still managed to get just above 10°, but it still remained overcast with negligible amounts of sun.

   The winds veered north easterly from the 11th as the HP migrated towards Norway, but now the diurnal range of temperatures became very narrow as the permanent cover of cloud saw a recovery in night-time minima, but which did little for day-time maximums as now the days saw occasional spells of rain.

  14th - 17th    Whilst remaining generally unsettled throughout this period, with LP that had been sat to the south finally making progress north east and bringing a little rain 14-15th, a weak ridge of HP overnight 15-16th brought a slight ground frost.

   That HP was shunted away 16th by LP in the Atlantic and this brought a wet second half to the day. The 17th was a relatively decent day behind the fronts of the 16th, but this was now literally the last of any sun through to the month's end.

   18th - 31st    From the 18th a succession of low pressure systems arrived off the Atlantic, that brought frequent and heavy spells of rain. Whilst it was mild by both day and night with a south westerly flow, the days were dull and wet with some healthy daily rainfall totals.

   Poor day followed poor day and the only certainty was that to go outside involved getting wet! The majority of the days all recorded in excess of 10 mm with 21.6 mm 21st (month's wettest day) and 17.8 mm on the 25th particularly wet and now the ground was sodden and rivers running high.

   The unsettled theme had a brief lull 24th due a transitory ridge of HP that brought some sunny spells, but that was only ahead of that soaking on the 25th.

   And despite the high rainfall total we in Cumbria still missed the month's main event, the 'storm of St. Jude' (28th) that hit to the south of the UK and we saw a mix of showers and a little brightness.

   The month did end with two ground frosts, again due to a ridge of HP with the days offering an autumnal mix of bright and breezy with further showers.

   Rainfall totalled 193.5 mm for the month, with rain recorded on 26 days of which 23 were 'Wet days' (1.0mm +).

   The Mean Temperature for the month was 11.0°c      --      The Mean Max' was   13.46°c     --      The Mean Min'   8.55°c.

   We had 0 Air Frosts in the month (year 68)                  --      Grass frosts totalled 3 (year 104).

   The 1 foot soil temp ranged from a low of 9.9°c on the 31st         to      a high of 14.0°c on the 5th and the 7th to 9th     --      with a monthly mean of 12.0°c

   The 1 meter soil temp ranged from a low of 11.2°c on the 31st      to      a high of 13.0°c on the 7th to 9th      --     with a monthly mean of 12.1°c

COMPARISONS:-

   * October 2013 rainfall was 174.5% of the October average for 2007 - 2012

   * October 2013 was 1.77°c warmer than the October average for 2009 - 2012 and 1.9°c warmer than the local long term average 1981-2010

  * The 3 month mean for August/September/October 2013 is              TEMP'    12.79°c         --          RAIN    383.2 mm


  *                     August/September/October 2012 was              TEMP'    11.20°c         --          RAIN    387.9 mm

  *                     August/September/October 2011 was              TEMP'    12.44°c         --          RAIN    347.5 mm

  *                     August/September/October 2010 was              TEMP'    11.60°c         --          RAIN    234.1 mm

  *                     August/September/October 2009 was              TEMP'    12.33°c         --          RAIN    203.6 mm

  *                     August/September/October 2008 was                                       --          RAIN    481.3 mm

  *                     August/September/October 2007 was                                       --          RAIN    196.9 mm


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                                        * 2013    To Date              TEMP'     9.17°c         --          RAIN    896.8 mm

                                        * 2012  Jan - Oct              TEMP'     9.08°c         --          RAIN    989.2 mm

                                        * 2011  Jan - Oct              TEMP'     9.75°c         --          RAIN   1016.4 mm

                                        * 2010  Jan - Oct              TEMP'     8.73°c         --          RAIN    550.5 mm

                                        * 2009  Jan - Oct              TEMP'     9.75°c         --          RAIN    854.3 mm

                                        * 2008  Jan - Oct                                       --          RAIN   1205.0 mm