High pressure was dominant for significant lengthy periods during October and hence resulted in it being a very dry month. For much of the time the high pressure was centred over Scandinavia, bringing easterly winds, but with Cumbria generally sheltered from any showers and subsequently enjoying plenty of sunshine. It became slightly unsettled at mid-month after which high pressure once again became dominant.

   MSLP of 1023.3 Mb was +12.4 Mb above the local average for October, a significant departure from the norm' and further evidence of just how dominant and prolonged the spells of high pressure were. Consequently rainfall was insignificant, never heavy nor prolonged, albeit from mid month especially and under cloudier skies, there were occasional very light showers/spells of rain that resulted in 'Trace' amounts being recorded on a total of ten days.

   Overall a mean minimum of 5.38°c and a mean maximum of 13.40°c saw the temperature 0.3°c above the 1981-2010 average and it was the warmest October since 2014 (the 4th coldest of the 8 now recorded at this site). The highest maximum temperature recorded was 17.3°c (4th), the lowest minimum -0.2°c (25th). At Reagill the mean temperature was 9.4°c.

   Rainfall of 23.9 mm (Crosby Ravensworth School 26.6 mm - CastleHowe Scar 29.9 mm and Reagill had 24.9 mm) made it the driest October yet recorded at this site (driest of 10 recorded) and was 19.2% of average for 2007-15. Locally, rainfall percentages were typically in the range of 20-30%.

   At the Met' Office site at Newton Rigg, 37.4 mm (35%) made it the driest October since 2003 and in a series back to 1900 it is the 11th driest (with incomplete data for 1 year). In a series back to 1951 a mean temperature of 9.2°c is the warmest since 2014 with 33 having been warmer, 2 having the same temperature and 30 colder in that time.

   Figures from the Environment Agency’s rainfall sites were, (figure in brackets being the monthly average for 1961-90)   ‘Data kindly provided by the Hydrometry and Telemetry team of the Environment Agency (Penrith)’:

   Kirkby Thore 27.8 mm (65.8 mm)

   Brothers Water 71.5 mm (276 mm)

   Nunwick Hall ??? mm (85.1 mm) is still suspected data - and

   114.2 mm at Seathwaite Farm (Borrowdale - 389 mm [average for 1981-2010])

  1st - 14th    High pressure (HP) would dominate well into the month giving a period of dry and settled conditions. That HP remained semi static over Norway and built to 1050 Mb during the period (1035 MB at its highest here) and whilst it kept any Atlantic depressions at bay, it was responsible for drawing in an easterly breeze that felt cool at times, especially later in the period - the trade off is worth it though!

   We also got to see a decent amount of sunshine during this time and we also had the first ground frosts of the season. As is often the case with this type of synoptic set-up, west was best - and we didn't have any rain of note until the 16th.

   Day-time temperatures held up quite well though, any sun still being strong enough to get the temperature into the range of 15-16°c, with the 4th at 17.3°c (63.1°f) the month's warmest day when the wind came more from a SE'ly direction. Apart from overnight 4-5th, the night-time minima fell away under clear skies and whilst there were no air frosts, the 3rd recorded the season's first ground frost of -0.6°c.

   From the 9th the occasional weak front ventured into the HP giving the odd spot of rain, but this was hardly of any consequence, it just broke the sequence of dry days. But now the airflow swung more E'ly, occasionally NE'ly, but the days were also much calmer and hence that drop in temperatures, the 13th dropping to 11.1°c under increasingly cloudier skies and with a number of showers. With the increasing amount of cloud the night-time minima rose accordingly to within the range of 6-7°c, average for the time of year. During the first twelve days of the month there had only been 0.9 mm of rain, falling on just three days.

      YEAR TO DATE           
                         * 2016    To Date                   TEMP      9.72°c         --         RAIN    919.7 mm

                         * 2015  Jan - Oct                   TEMP      8.96°c         --         RAIN    860.4 mm

                         * 2014  Jan - Oct                   TEMP     10.38°c         --         RAIN   1159.4 mm

                         * 2013  Jan - Oct                   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'     9.76°c         --         RAIN    854.3 mm

                         * 2008  Jan - Oct                   TEMP'                    --         RAIN   1205.0 mm


                         This makes the Jan' to Oct' period of 2016 0.32°c warmer than the average for 2009-15 and with 97.7% of average rainfall for 2008-15