OCTOBER was another warm month, as were August and September, but not quite so dry and bright. Both rainfall and sunshine totals were generally about those we anticipate.

It was the mildest October since only 2006, but this was one of the warmest in the past 30 years. Temperatures then were an impressive 2.5C (4.5F) higher than normal, compared to just 1C (2F) this time, though still very acceptable.

Also, there were no extremes this month.

Typically, here at Carlton, near Stokesley, the range of maxima was a mere 5C (9F), the hottest being relatively chilly. However, the lowest maximum, 11.2C (52F) on the 17th, was much above the coldest in any October in my 27-year record, 5.7C (42.5F), as early as the 15th in 1992.

Minima were more varied, but topsy-turvy, tending to warm up during the month, significantly too. The average over the first nine days was only 5.5C (42F), but for the final nine, the mean was no less than 10C (50F), a value usually expected at the beginning of September.

Intriguingly, the highest and lowest temperatures for the whole month occurred within 16 hours on the 6th and 7th. You would have thought that this was because it was a glorious, sunny day followed by a clear night – but it wasn’t.

It was mostly overcast with periods of rain.

The warmth came courtesy of an airstream originating in the vicinity of the Canaries.

The main reason for the drop in the mercury was the passage from the west of a cold front late in the evening. The accompanying cloud clearance did help as well. A similar balmy, southerly flow also featured during the last ten days of the month, maintaining those elevated temperature levels.

Spells of rain were chiefly fairly brief and not too frequent, about every 72 hours, so there were still many fine days. Exceptions were the Tuesdays of the 6th and 20th, and especially Wednesday the 21st, when fronts became slow-moving over the region, causing prolonged rainfall.

Octobers figures at Carlton in Cleveland:

Mean Maximum: 13.9C, 57F (+0.5C, 1F);

Mean Minimum: 7.7C, 46F (+0.6C, 1F);

Highest Maximum: 16.5C, 61.5F, 6th;

Lowest Minimum: 0.8C, 33.5F, 7th;

Total Rainfall: 41mm, 1.6ins (23mm, 0.9ins);

Wettest Day: 8mm, 0.3ins, 31st;

No of Rain Days, with 0.2mm (0.01ins) or more: 15 (1).

(Figures in brackets show the difference from the 26-year mean, 1983-2008).