The first week of October was unsettled and wet with a gradual improvement to something drier, although uninspiring through to mid month. During this second week temperatures remained consistently above average, peaking 7-9th, but especially on the 8th. It was a little cooler mid-month when the first airfrost of the season was recorded.

  After mid-month it slowly became unsettled, whilst still mild, rain fell every day and from the 26th it became very unsettled with some significant rainfall totals across the county. However, here in the east of the county, whilst it was a totally miserable few days, it more resembled a wet autumnal spell rather than the deluge experienced through the LDNP and further west.

  Mean monthly minima showed a greater, positive, deviation from the norm' than the mean monthly maxima and in many ways it was a quiet month ... just wet and now the second wettest October at this site.

  At Honister on the 27th the daily fall was 222.6 mm (8.76 In.) out of a month's total of 924.4 mm - in records back to 1961 this is the seventh wettest of any 24Hr fall in Cumbria, making it the second wettest October day. Sixth on that list is 226.6 mm from 25th October 2008, the wettest ever October day.

  MSLP of 1010.3 Mb was -0.6 MB below the local average for the month and overall a mean minimum of 7.18°c and a mean maximum of 13.38°c saw the temperature 0.82°c above the twelve year average for this site.

  It was the warmest October since 2017 and since 2009 when the record began four have been warmer and eight have been colder - the highest maximum temperature recorded during the month being 19.1°c (8th), the lowest minimum -0.4°c (16th).

  Rainfall of 202.9 mm (Maulds Meaburn North 205.8 mm -- Castlehowe Scar 274.9 mm) was 170.6% of average for 2007-20, making it the wettest October since 2008. Of the 15 now recorded, 13 have been drier and one has been wetter.

  During the month the following was recorded: nothing in terms of hail, fog, etc - the wind speed averaged 7.2 mph, with a maximum gust of 49 mph (26th).

  At the Met' Office site at Shap a mean minimum of 7.00°c and a mean maximum of 12.70°c saw the monthly mean temperature 1.5°c above the average and made it the warmest October since 2017. Since the record commenced in 1992 it is the equal 7th warmest.

  Rainfall of 327.6 mm represents 178.9% of its average. It was the wettest October since 2008 and in a record that commenced in 1989, it is the third wettest with just 1998 and 2008 having been wetter.

  At Appleby in Westmorland rainfall of 150.8 mm represents 166.4% of its average (1856-2020) and made it the wettest since 1998 - in a record that commenced in 1856, 154 have been drier and 11 wetter.

  Nowhere in the county escaped from recording above average rainfall, it was just a case of how large a deviation from the norm' was recorded. The largest departures from the norm were to be found within the LDNP with totals exceeding 200% being common (237.1% at Ambleside) falling down to a little over 160% in the east of the county, but with Aisgill Moor showing the smallest departure at just 109%.

  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 147.8 mm (65.8 mm)

  Haresceugh Castle (Kirkoswald) 164.83 mm (101.0 mm)

  Brothers Water 593.16 mm (276 mm)

  Orton (Shallowford) 307.0 mm (161.9 mm [average for 1967-2020]) - making it the wettest since 2008 and since the record commenced in 1967, 52 have been drier and two have been wetter.

  773.4 mm at Seathwaite Farm (Borrowdale - 389 mm [average for 1981-2010]) - making it the wettest since 2008 and since the record commenced in 1845, 172 have been drier and three have been wetter.

  General Synoptic Report for the Month

   Low pressure (LP) dominated at the start of the month through to the 7th, parking itself to the south of Iceland and pushing a series of fronts across the UK. This brought frequent spells of rain with some heavy daily falls, including: 20.4 mm (2nd), 9.3 mm (3rd), 17.7 mm (4th) and 14.4 mm (5th). Up to this point day-time temperatures hovered either side of the seasonal norm' (13°c), dipping down to 9.6°c on the 5th.

  The 8-17th saw an improvement in terms of something less wet and warmer, but sunshine remained an infrequent bonus. High pressure (HP) initially tried to ridge down from the USSR, but fronts still lingered over the UK before the 'Azores high' pushed north and started to dominate from the 10th. Sun was still at a premium, the days tending to be cloudy with a NW'ly flow, but this saw temperatures slightly above the norm' and more so by night.

  The HP would finally drift into Europe, but a cold front moved south down the UK 14-15th, briefly introducing colder, clearer air and cloudless skies on the 15th, the day starting with a ground frost. (Technically) the 16th recorded the season's first air frost of -0.4°c, but that temperature was attained late on the 15th before cloud once again encroached.

  LP then took control for the next few days, with drizzle and/or light rain frequent although daily falls were fairly insignificant. Come the 20th-21st LP had moved east to Norway and the Azores high again ridged north into the Atlantic which resulted in a NW'ly flow. This introduced cooler, clearer conditions with the 21st starting with cloudless skies and a slight air frost with a fine sunny day to follow.

  Once again the HP would drift into Europe, leaving the UK in between it and LP in the Atlantic. Finally day-time maximums trended below average and drizzle, murk and overcast skies became a common theme, but for the time been daily rainfall totals were still insignificant.

  The 25th would manage to give us a final look at sunshine, albeit with a number of showers before the month finished on quite a terrible note.

  The 26th was another damp day with drizzle throughout, but LP in the Atlantic was deepening and pushing towards our shores - the next few days would see Cumbria bear the brunt of significant rainfall that would cause some flooding in places such as Cockermouth and west Cumbria (approx' 40 properties were flooded), but here in Maulds Meaburn and the east of the county it was just a spell of wet autumnal weather. Indeed, at locations further east and some to the north of Maulds Meaburn, the 27th wasn't that wet and the month's wettest day had actually fallen on the 5th (Appleby, Kirkby Thore, Harescuegh Castle).

  The LP (963 MB) sat in the North Atlantic and barely moved over the next few days. Its progress was also affected (stopped) by HP over Europe and was driven by an active Jet-stream. A strong, mild and moist SSW'ly airflow was introduced and which saw frontal systems becoming stuck over the northern part of the UK. A little like November 2009 it resulted in the worst of the rainfall affecting the south and west of the county; whilst wet, the east of the county escaping unscathed.

  Rain overnight into the 27th would see significant totals credited back to the 26th which in turn created some very large 48hr totals for the 26-27th. Many locations within the LDNP had daily totals over 100mm on the 27th

  Rainfall totals here at Maulds Meaburn being 13.8 mm (26th), 33.2 mm (27th) and 17.7 mm (28th) -- the River Lyvennet, The Eden at Appleby and The Kent in Kendal all remaining within their banks throughout -- 24 and 48hr rainfall totals from elsewhere included:

  24 Hrs (09-09GMT ending 28th - credited to the 27th) - Honister 222.6 mm -- Seathwaite 200.6 mm -- Appleby 14.7 mm -- Brothers Water 138.44 mm -- Ulpha 131.6 mm -- Barrass 7.2 mm

  48 Hrs (26-27th) - Honister 343.0 mm -- Seathwaite 276.8 mm -- Appleby 19.6 mm -- Brothers Water 197.33 mm -- Ulpha 148.8 mm -- Barrass 9.2 mm

  However in numerous locations the 28th was wetter than the 26th -- 48 Hrs (27-28th) - Honister 278.8 mm -- Seathwaite 264.6 mm -- Appleby 24.7 mm -- Brothers Water 197.11 mm -- Ulpha 185.6 mm -- Barrass 15.6 mm

  The LP wasn't going very far very quickly and remained the dominant feature beyond the end of the month. Sitting in the North Atlantic a number of associated fronts swept across the UK both on the 30th and 31st. These passed over relatively quickly but still managed to deposit large amounts of rain; 18.8 mm (credited back to the 29th, but most fell early on the 30th) and all in all, during the period of 26th - 31st a total of 104.8 mm of rain was recorded.

  Finally the weather turned that bit cooler at the month's end with day-time maximums below average, but still in double digits, but as with the majority of the month, night-time minima held up under cloudy skies.