Brief comments on the climate statistics for Coventry
during October 2005

Temperature

This has been the second truly remarkable October month in recent years
in Coventry; four years ago, 2001 was the warmest October (13.7C) in
Central England since at least 1659.

With an average monthly temperature of 13.2C, this has been the warmest
October in the region since 2001; however looking at the archives with
records dating back to 1892, we find that this has been the second
warmest October on record.

As a comparison, the average monthly temperature for October in 2003
was just 9.4C. This was a rare month in recent years, because only 3
October months have registered cooler than normal temperatures
(1971-2000 averages) in the past 11 years (1997, 2002 and 2003).

This has only been the third October in Coventry since 1892 without any
recorded frost, the other frost free October months being 1968 and
2001. As a comparison, we recorded 9 ground frosts in the city during
October 2003, and as many as 12 in 1997.

Days of the month of note include:

· 11th The warmest day of the month registered a maximum temperature
of 21.6C - this was the warmest October day in our region since 1997
(22.1C). Having said this, it pales into insignificance compared to the
hottest October day on record, when 27.1C was recorded as recently as
1985.

· 12th This was the warmest night of the month with an overnight
minimum temperature of 15.8C - this was the 2nd highest night-time
minimum temperature during October on record. The warmest ever October
night was 15.9C in 1985.



Rainfall

The second half of the month was noticeably wet with some rain falling
on each of the last 15 days; in this period 76% of the monthly rainfall
total fell, to leave us with the impression that the month was a
'washout'.

Although the rainfall total (76.6mm) was 29% above the 30-year city
records, this wouldn't be quite the whole story however, because
October 2005 was actually drier than October 2004 (104.0mm).

In fact, there has been a recent trend towards wetter Octobers in our
region, with 4 out of the past months at this time of year recording
over 100mm of rain - usually something of a rarity in the weather
archives for Coventry and Warwickshire.

Sunshine

With a monthly sunshine total of 75.7hr, this has been the dullest
October in Coventry since 1976 (60.3hr).

With sunshine records dating back to 1894, only 11 October months have
recorded less sunshine than 2005 (1915, 1918, 1925, 1933, 1937, 1942,
1978, 1954, 1960, 1968, 1976).

It is interesting to note that between 1894 and 1915, there were a
further 11 duller Octobers than 2005, a result of much more frequent
and long-lasting autumn fog than is the case today; this is thanks to
improvements in atmospheric conditions since the Clean Air Act in 1974.

Full statistics on our website

Steve Jackson
Bablake Weather Station
Coventry
www.bablakeweather.co.uk

In uk.sci.weather on Tue, 1 Nov 2005 at 11:16:02, Steve J, BWS wrote :
Brief comments on the climate statistics for Coventry
during October 2005

Temperature

This has been the second truly remarkable October month in recent years
in Coventry; four years ago, 2001 was the warmest October (13.7C) in
Central England since at least 1659.

With an average monthly temperature of 13.2C, this has been the warmest
October in the region since 2001; however looking at the archives with
records dating back to 1892, we find that this has been the second
warmest October on record.

Here in Cheltenham, at 13.2C, 2005 was 0.3C warmer than 2001.
--
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham