Climate summaries

Overview of weather across the UK for previous months, seasons and years

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UK last month

October 2023

The first half of October mostly comprised a north-south contrast in weather across the UK. England and Wales were generally nearer the influence of high pressure over the near-continent, with a particularly warm and sunny spell of weather from 6th to 10th. Temperatures reached the low 20s °C widely across England and Wales with 25°C in the south-east on 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th, more than 8°C above average for the time of year. This was the most significant spell of October warmth since 2011. However, Scotland missed out on most of the warmth but instead borne the brunt of Atlantic frontal systems and associated rainfall. This included some exceptionally wet weather on 6th and 7th from an 'atmospheric river' event. Scotland overall received 64.1mm in these two days, making this its wettest 2-day period on record. Fronts sweeping across the UK from 12th to 13th brought widespread wet and cooler weather to the UK more generally, and a final end to any lingering late summer warmth. The second half of the month was unsettled and very wet at times. Widespread, prolonged and heavy rainfall from storm Babet from 18th to 21st caused brought serious flooding problems to many areas, with eastern Scotland worst affected. This, together with some very strong winds, brought atrocious weather conditions with 150 to 200mm of rain falling in the wettest areas. The Met Office issued two red warnings for rain in this area, and the county of Angus recorded its wettest day on record in a series from 1891. More widely, England and Wales also provisionally recorded its third-wettest 3-day period on record.

Temperatures for October overall were near average in Scotland but above normal elsewhere, particularly across southern England with anomalies of 1.5 to 2°C. This was provisionally the equal-sixth wettest October on record for the UK in a series from 1836, while eastern Scotland had its wettest October on record. In Scotland, Angus, Dundee, Fife and Kincardineshire recorded their wettest October, in England Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire and the Isle of Wight, and in Northern Ireland counties Armagh and Down, with well over twice the October average rainfall. It was a rather dull month, with 92% of average sunshine hours. Northern England was particularly dull with 78%.

The UK monthly extremes were as follows: A maximum temperature of 26.1°C was recorded at East Malling (Kent) on the 9th. A minimum temperature of -5.5°C was recorded at Dalwhinnie (Inverness-shire) on the 31st. In the 24 hours ending at 0900 UTC on the 20th, 129.5 mm of rain fell at Fettercairn, Glensaugh (Kincardineshire). A wind gust of 75 knots (86 mph) was recorded at Needles Old Battery (Isle of Wight) on the 29th.

Regional values for October 2023