October 2025 Commentary

Overall the month of October was slightly milder but also less wet than usual.

Temperatures gradually decreased as the month progressed but there was no really cold weather even at night and the last few days of the month were actually fairly mild.

As we moved into our traditionally wettest few months (October to January), October began with two wet days but the next two weeks were almost totally dry. However the air pressure then fell dramatically and there were some very wet days, especially the 19th, and then the last week produced more rain each day.

The average temperature for October was 13.C. which is a shade above average for the last ten years while the month's total rainfall of 141.5mm (approx. 4 and a half inches) is not far below the average for the last decade, but it was the driest October since 2018.

Within Cerne Abbas, St. Augustine's Well is usually full to overflowing by this time of year but at the end of October, it appeared to be dry and simply just full of leaves.

Philip Spray