An historical perspective on the climate statistics for Coventry
during October 2009

Temperature

In the first three weeks of October, the mean temperature exactly
matched the 30-year average for Coventry; remarkably however, after a
final balmy week at the end of the month, the monthly mean temperature
(11.8°C) eventually came out 1.5°C above this 30-year average

So October 2009 became the mildest October locally since 2006
(13.0°C). This statistic belies the fact however that:

• Only 6 October months in Coventry have been warmer than October 2009
in the past 50 years (1968, 1990, 1995, 2001, 2005 & 2006).

• Only 8 Octobers have been warmer than this in the past 100 years
(add 1921 and 1959 to the above list);

• Only 9 Octobers have been warmer than October 2009 since before 1892
(add 1908).

***Just for the record, remember that October 2001 was the warmest
October (13.7°C) in Central England records dating back to at least
1659***

Rainfall

We recorded 13.4mm of rain on the last day of the month, though in
truth this all fell in the early hours of the 1st of November, but
before the 0900hr climatological readings’ time. Hitherto, we had been
on course to register the lowest October rainfall total in Coventry
since 1995.

With 48.6mm of rain however by month’s end, this was still our driest
October since 2007 (42.8mm).

This has been the third month in succession to record less rainfall
than average locally, and so far the annual total for the city is
running at 11% below normal rainfall.

Sunshine

Although October became the third month out of the last four in 2009
to record less sunshine than normal in Coventry, the annual sunshine
total so far is till 14% higher than the 30-year city average.

It was the dullest October (97.9 hours) in Coventry since 2006 (93.8
hours).


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