October was a poor month that was frequently on the cool side, was lacking in sunshine and was wet at both ends, especially the final third of the month when rainfall totals soon began to mount up. With 21 days failing to attain the seasonal average temperature and rain recorded on 28 days, it will be a month soon forgotten.

  Pressure was low during the first part of the month, bringing a very wet day on the 3rd, pressure rose through the middle part of the month when it became drier, although remaining overcast. From the 21st through to the end of the month pressure was permanently low with a succession of rain bearing fronts bringing some quite wet days. The rain coupled with permanently overcast skies and temperatures stuck just above 10°c made for a fairly grim, prolonged, end to the month.

  Both the mean maximum and minimum temperatures were heavily suppressed, the mean maximum slightly more so, but only the one air frost was recorded (2nd) during the month, the overcast skies tending to prevent the night-time minima dropping too low.

  By the end of the month we had also notched up another notable fete - that is with two months of the year still to go we have already exceeded the average annual rainfall total of 1232 mm by 40 mm!

  MSLP of 1005.3 Mb was -5.6 MB below the local average for the month and overall a mean minimum of 5.16°c and a mean maximum of 12.11°c saw the temperature 0.91°c below the eleven year average for this site.

  It was the warmest since 2018 and of the twelve now recorded, nine have been warmer and two have been colder - the highest maximum temperature recorded being 15.6°c (4th), the lowest minimum -0.6°c (2nd).

  Rainfall of 170.5 mm (Maulds Meaburn North 163.7 mm -- Castlehowe Scar 219.8 mm) was 148.4% of average for 2007-19 and made it the wettest October since 2014. Of the fourteen now recorded, three have been wetter and ten have been drier.

  During the month the following was recorded: Days with Hail - two (25th and 28th). The wind speed averaged 6.42 mph, with a maximum gust of 56 mph (31st).

  At the Met' Office site at Newton Rigg a mean temperature of 8.99°c is 0.1°c colder than average and is the warmest since 2018. In a series back to 1914 (records do not exist for 4yrs), 49 have been colder, 50 have been warmer and 3 have been the same.

  Rainfall totalled 157.0 mm (146.9% of average), making it the wettest since 2014. Since 1900 when the record began (records don't exist for one year), 12 have been wetter and 107 have been drier.

  At Appleby in Westmorland a total of 130.7 mm represented 144.6% of its average (1856-2019) and made it the wettest since 2014 - in a record that commenced in 1856, 30 have been wetter and 134 drier.

  At Seathwaite Farm it was the wettest since 2017 and in a record that commenced in 1845, 145 have been drier and 30 wetter.

  Rainfall totals across Cumbria were widely above average and typically in the range of 135% of average.

  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 ** mm (65.8 mm)

  Haresceugh Castle (Kirkoswald) 126.71 mm (101.0 mm)

  Brothers Water 369.13 mm (276 mm) and

  Orton (Shallowford) 217.0 mm (161.9 mm [average for 1967-2019])

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

  ** not available due to faults with the gauge

  General Synoptic Report for the Month

   Low pressure (LP) was over or near to the UK at the start of the month, especially the 3rd/4th when a very deep area of LP brought a very wet (36.4 mm) and miserable day on the 3rd. The LP responsible for this rain had built in Biscay before moving north into France, where it really did rain and caused widespread and serious flooding.

  Autem, overnight into the 2nd the pressure gradient had briefly slackened and with clearer skies we had recorded the first air frost of the season, down to -0.6°c.

  The LP remained dominant over the UK for the 4-5th, but with the UK sat at its centre and thus in a slack pressure gradient. Rainfall became more patchy and light and we even had a few sunny spells during the afternoon of the 5th.

  Finally the LP moved away NE but another LP system, again out of Biscay, would give a wet night into the 8th, the day itself then becoming fairly pleasant behind the fronts. The next few days had a cool feel about them as a NW'ly flow developed, the 9th failing to attain 10°c. Rainfall amounts were minimal and with HP in the Atlantic starting to nudge in the 11th saw a decent amount of sunshine.

  Between the 11-17th HP in the Atlantic started to become more of a feature, but tended to stay to our west. With LP to the east it maintained coolness to the temperature and whilst we avoided air frosts, a number of nights did notch up a ground frost. Autem, due to LP always being nearby we did see rain on most days. Day-time maximums were suppressed, the 16th another day that failed to hit 10°c, but typically the range was 11-12°c.

  From the 17th it all became a little dull and overcast with the occasional bout of drizzle and/or light rain and whilst the temperatures had briefly picked up 20th - 21st, it was all now going to head ... downhill!

  Areas of LP would now be dominant through to the month's end, resulting in frequent bouts of rain and suppressed day-time temperatures. By the month's end the ground would be verging on saturation.

  All of the 23rd to 28th saw the temperature stuck in the range of 10-11°c and the rain whilst never too heavy was never too far away. With a deep area of LP to the west of Eire, the 24-25th were both wet and windy, although the 25th improved to enjoy a few sunny intervals in the afternoon.

  That same area of LP stayed with us through to the 26th but was immediately replaced by another LP system that again was slow to move through and which was also replaced by yet another LP system on the 31st. The rain on this system would not arrive until the early hours of the 1st, but ahead of that the wind was a notable feature, gusting to 56 Mph.