October proves to be the third wettest on record

October 2022 was wet, mostly cloudy and with generally little wind.

The rainfall total for the month showed 168.0mm falling over 15 wet days and for a month that averages just 95.8mm on 14 expected wet days it was certainly much wetter than normal.

In fact it proved the third wettest October on record. Only October 2011 with a total of 211.0mm on 13 wet days and October 2004 with 177.6mm on 13 wet days proved wetter.

Normally known as the windiest month of the year October 2022 produced little wind with not one single day when the wind reached 50km/h. Mostly the winds proved light to moderate.

Temperatures for the month averaged 11.4 degrees Celsius (0.6 degrees below average) with the maximum daytime temperature reading 16.4 degrees (1.4 degrees below average) and the average night time minimum 6.3 degrees (exactly the monthly average for October).

The warmest day occurred on Monday, October 31 when the mercury reached 22.0 degrees and the coldest night of minus 3.0 degrees happened twice, first on Friday, October 7 and again on Saturday, October 22.

During the month, four frosts were recorded, the heaviest being minus 5.8 degrees on Saturday, October 22.

Looking ahead, November is normally the second driest month of the year after February, but nothing has been normal about the 2022 weather which is already the third wettest year on record. Can it set a new record? Only time will tell. One thing is certain — November will certainly be warmer.