WEATHER REVIEW - October 2007

Headline: Largely anticyclonic and dry apart from significant rainfall around mid-month. Also mild apart from a distinctly autumnal spell during the third week.

October opened with high pressure over the North Sea and the remnants of a weak weather system approaching from the south-west. This system produced a small amount of rain across the county on the 1st but it rapidly broke down as it came up against the high. However, frontal systems remained caught up in the high for a few days producing a fair amount of cloud.  By the 5th high pressure had become firmly established across England and Wales and although this gave several days of fine weather, the high was a fairly mobile feature and broke down finally on the 8th as a succession of frontal systems introduced a fair amount of rain across the county.

Throughout the first fortnight temperatures remained fairly consistent with daytime maxima ranging from 15 to 17C and then staying fairly mild for the time of year overnight. With the prevalence of high pressure winds remained very light or calm at times. Some good spells of sunshine were recorded on some days, but mostly it remained rather cloudy.

High pressure built in once again on the 11th, but was largely confined to the southern half of the UK with frontal systems introducing a fair amount of rain across Scotland. Although the 11th itself saw some sunny spells across the county, high pressure and associated light winds would see few breaks in an extensive blanket of cloud which remained for the next couple of days.  The cloud was thick enough at times to produce some light showers.

Pressure began to fall noticeably on the 15th  as a deeping area of low pressure tracked eastwards from Iceland and drove some active fronts across the UK.  On the 16th these fronts had become more or less stationary across central and southern England and activity along them was boosted by the arrival of low pressure from the south-west. A significant amount of rain fell across the county, nearly 32mm being recorded at Pitsford in just under 14 hours. The wind which hitherto had been mostly light strengthened from the south-west.

A large anticyclone built in across the UK following the rain on the 17th  and would remain fairly stationary over the next few days. In contrast to the high earlier in the month, this anticyclone would give some fine sunshine by day, although as a consequence overnight lows dropped dramatically with lows falling to nearly 2C at Pitsford on the 20th. With some chilly mornings, daytime temperatures also took a while to recover and overall temperatures slowly fell and a distinctly autumnal feel developed. By the 21st the high had started to move from the UK retreating towards Scandinavia where it maintained a chilly north-easterly airstream.  Here a blocking situation developed with the county and much of the UK enjoying a protracted dry period as frontal systems were steered to the north and south.

By the 26th a deep and rather complex low had developed over Iceland and this was introducing some strong winds across the far north-west. Over the next few days fronts related to this system sank southwards introducing spells of rain across the county as well as strong winds, particularly on the 28th as low pressure across much of northern Europe battled against high pressure which extended across much of the continent. However, no sooner had the UK come under a cyclonic influence on the 29th high pressure to the south-west moved back in across the southern half of country allowing the county to enjoy a fine and sunny end to October.


Air Temperatures    
The Highest Maximum:   17.6C on 12th
The Lowest Maximum:   10.0C on 25th
The Highest Minimum:   14.1C on 13th
The Lowest Minimum:   2.3C on 20th
The Mean Maximum:   14.6C  
The Mean Minimum:   7.9C  
The Overall Mean:   11.3C  
Difference from the Monthly Mean: +1.0C  
    
Black Bulb    
Maximum (at 0900):   22.5C on 5th
Mean (at 0900):    14.4C  
    
Relative Humidity:    
Highest Relative Humidity (at 0900): 97.7% on 9th
Lowest Relative Humidity (at 0900): 73.8% on 8th
Mean Relative Humidity (at 0900): 87.7%  
    
Dew Point:    
The Highest Dew Point (0900):  14.4C on 12th
The Lowest Dew Point (at 0900): 1.2C on 21st
The Mean Dew Point (at 0900):  8.8C  
    
Rainfall:    
Total:     49.7mm  
Difference from the Monthly Mean: 90.2%  
Duration:    28.5hrs  
Highest 24 hour fall (0900 to 0900): 31.7mm on 16th
Rain Days (>/=0.2mm):   7   
Wet Days (>/=1.0mm):   3   
    

Sunshine:    
Total Duration of Bright Sunshine: 99.4hrs  
Sunniest day:    9.6hrs on 21st
No. of days without sunshine:  7   
Difference from the Monthly Mean: 75.1%  
Cloud cover (mean at 0900):  5.3oktas (66.3%)
    
Pressure (reduced to sea level):    
The Highest Pressure:   1038.0mb on 20th
The Lowest Pressure:   1011.8mb on 16th
Mean Pressure (recorded at 0900): 1024.2mb  
    
Winds    
Run of wind (mean over 24 hrs): 78.0miles  
Mean daily wind speed:   4.2mph  
Run of wind (cumulative):  2417.6miles  
Highest Maximum Gust:   33mph on 28th
No. of gusts of 50mph or more:  0   
Highest wind strength (at 0900): 21.9mph on 28th
Mean wind strength (at 0900):  5.1mph  
    
Winds from the Following Directions:    

N 2 NE 4 E 5 SE 1 S 4 SW 2 W 1 NW 2 Calm 10   
    
Concrete     
Lowest Concrete Minimum:  0.3C on 19th
Mean Concrete Minimum:  6.4C  
    
Evaporation    
Piche     33.3ml  
Pan     24.87mm
    
Days with:    
Thunder:    0   
Hail <5mm:    0   
Hail >/=5mm:    0   
Snow or snow & rain:   0   
Fog:     0   
Air Frost:    0   
Gales:     0

All data © Pitsford Hall weather station.
Click here to view the full climatological register for October 2007.

Click here to view the weather diary for October 2007. 

Click here to view the full AWS weather record for October 2007.
Click here to view the statistical summary for 2007.

The weather station publishes a full Monthly Weather Report (ISSN 1741-4733) which is distributed to libraries across Northamptonshire. This report comprises a full UK weather diary, reports of extreme weather events across the county, statistics from Pitsford Hall's affiliated stations across the county as well as news from the weather station itself. Individuals may download this report for £2 or take out an annual subscription for the paper-based report for £25. Click here for further details.