General and Barometric Pressure

  October wasn't quite as changeable and mixed as September, but it had a cooler first half before a noticeably warmer second half and throughout the month there were both drier and wet spells as we saw a succession of low pressure systems arrive from off the Atlantic, yet with high pressure also bringing drier and calmer conditions. The first named storm of the season (20th) brought strong winds but not much in the way of rainfall.

  Consequently MSLP would finish slightly above average, albeit by just 0.8 MB as pressure was fairly transient during the month.

  Dry for the first four days with temperatures mainly above average, although the 3-4th both recorded ground frosts. Rain over the next five days included 10.7 mm on the 6th and which would be the month's warmest day. With several spells of rain the 8th was wet with 21.3 mm, temperatures during this period were above average, especially by night.

  The next five days only saw a brief spell of rain on the 12th, but this was the coldest period of the month and included a low maximum of 7.6°c on the 13th and the three air frosts that were recorded during the month. However, there were some sunny spells to go with the cooler conditions, both the 10th and 14th being fine sunny days.

  The 15-20th was the wettest period of the month, finishing with 'Storm Ashley' on the 20th, this being the first named storm of the autumn/winter. However, the 16th was probably the worst day! Rain arrived overnight into the 16th which would see 18.0 mm credited back to the 15th and then it simply rained all day, heavily during the afternoon for a final total of 39.0 mm. A brief lull followed on the 17th, but the next three days saw just over 11 mm fall on each one and then Ashley battered us with strong winds late afternoon and evening, gusting to 64 mph.

  It now generally quietened down, but with bits of rain 26-28th, but also with some sunny spells. Temperatures remained well above average both by night and day as the month closed under the influence of high pressure with the days being dry and with some spells of sun.

  Temperature

  With a mean minimum of 6.63°c and a mean maximum of 13.60°c October 2024 saw the temperature 0.46°c above the fifteen year average for this site. This saw it being the warmest October since 2022 and since the record commenced (2009), six have been warmer and nine have been colder.

  You might expect October to become that bit cooler later in the second half, but not so. The first half (mean of 8.96°c) was much cooler than a progressively warmer second half (mean of 11.20°c).

  The highest maximum during the month was 16.5°c (61.7°f - 6th) and the lowest minimum, -1.1°c (30.0°f - 14th).

  At the Met' Office site at Shap a mean minimum of 6.1°c and a mean maximum of 12.8°c saw the monthly mean temperature 1.05°c above average. It was the warmest October since 2022 and since the record began (1992), eleven have been warmer and twenty-one have been colder.

  Precipitation

  At Maulds Meaburn rainfall totalled 144.8 mm (5.70 In), this being 114.2% of the average for 2007-23, making it the wettest October since 2022. Since the recorded began (2007), eleven have been drier and six wetter.

  Locally rainfall at Maulds Meaburn North was 149.4 mm and at Castlehowe Scar 191.2 mm. At the Met' Office site at Shap, rainfall of 166.4 mm represents 90.0% of its average making it the wettest October there since 2022. And since the record commenced (1989), fourteen have been drier and twenty-one wetter.

  Figures from a selection of Environment Agency's rainfall sites were, (figure in brackets being the monthly average for 1991-2020)   'Data kindly provided by the Hydrometry and Telemetry team of the Environment Agency (Penrith)':

  At Appleby in Westmorland rainfall of 134.7 mm (LTA of 91.2 mm) represents 147.7% of its average (1856-2023) and made it the wettest since 2022 - since the record commenced, 140 have been drier and 28 have been wetter.

  Kirkby Thore 117.2 -- (80.6 mm)

  Haresceugh Castle (Kirkoswald) 127.51 -- (100.7 mm)

  Brothers Water 236.14 mm -- (290.4 mm)

  Seathwaite Farm (Borrowdale) 265.0 mm -- (354.6 mm [average for 1845-2023]) represents 74.7% of its average - and made it the driest since 2019 - since the record commenced, 60 have been drier and 119 have been wetter.

  OTHER:-

  During the month the following 'days of' were recorded: absolutely nothing -- the wind speed averaged 4.84 mph, with a maximum gust of 64 mph (20th).

  We had 3 Air Frosts in the month (year 28)          --          Grass Frosts totalled 9 (year 69).

  The 1 foot soil temp ranged from a low of 9.1°c on the 15th        to      a high of 12.0°c on the 8-9th     --      with a monthly mean of 11.0°c

  The 1 meter soil temp ranged from a low of 11.2°c on the 16-17th      to      a high of 12.6°c on the 1st     --     with a monthly mean of 11.8°c

   This makes the Jan' to October period of 2024 0.48°c warmer than the average for 2009-23 and with 124.2% of average rainfall for 2008-23

  Cumbrian Rainfall -- Dry in the north-west; above average in the East

  A relatively small area of Cumbria saw above average rainfall during October, this being along the eastern part of the A66 corridor, with Appleby In Westmorland recording the highest percentage fall at 147.7%.

  Either side of Appleby was also wet with Barras recording 141% and Kirkby Thore 145%, all mainly due to a particularly wet day in the area on the 16th. The 45.1 mm recorded at Appleby that day is a high 24Hr total for this site.

  The 16th was broadly the wettest day in the county, but with a notable exception. In the LDNP and some coastal areas, the 27th was very wet. At this juncture it is worth noting that the first named storm of the season, 'Ashley', on the 20th only provided the month's wettest day at Burnbanks and Thirlmere.

  The 27th provided a true soaking in Wasdale with the 104.8 mm (*) recorded at the EA site at the back of the Wasdale Inn being the greatest 24Hr fall anywhere in the UK during the month. Nearby, Ennerdale Black Sail notched up 90.4 mm and Coniston Copper Mines had 88.6 mm.

  That fall at the Copper mines would help it to become the wettest location in Cumbria during October and it was also the only site to record an inch or more of rain on six days during the month. Yet in spite of this large fall on the 27th these locations still finished drier than average.

  However, the driest part of the county was in the NW corner where at Prospect (just west of Aspatria) only 77.0 mm was recorded. Whilst this was with non-standard equipment, nearby at the EA site at Abbeytown 77.37 mm was recorded.

  Broadly the month was dry during the 1st - 5th, wet 6-9th, dry 10-14th, very wet 15-20th, drier 21st to 24th, spells of rain 25-28th (but with the soaking in the LNDP 27th) and then finished dry.

  *The Wasdale Inn is indeed a wet place, but I don’t recall it having previously recorded the highest 24Hr fall for the county as a whole. It does have a slightly anomalous feel to it, especially when compared to the falls recorded at Ennerdale Black Sail and Honister, but ...