November 2009 -a notably wet and windy month
November 2009 was, by any account, a wet month. Rainfall was around 190% across England and Wales but as high as 250% across NW England and central and southern Scotland. The only exception to this was East Anglia where rainfall was closer to average. However temperatures were above average overall & up to around 2.5C above average across the SE of England and East Anglia. Whilst maximum temperatures ended up slightly above average it was minimum temperatures that were generally well up on the average, with the incidence of frost well below average. The highest temperature of the month was reported at Heathrow (London) & Gravesend (Kent) on the 1st with 17.4C, whilst the lowest was tied, both Braemar (Aberdeenshire) and Cromdale (Highland) saw -8.6C on the 9th. Sunshine was well below average in the western UK but above average elsewhere especially eastern districts where 125% was reported.
November begun mild, wet and quite windy: there were gusts of 66kt at the Mumbles (Swansea) with some high rainfall totals as well along with short lived but locally severe flooding in Huntly (Aberdeenshire) and Stonehaven (Kincardinshire). Boulmer (Northumberland) reported a 34 hour total of 52mm.
November 8th-10th was a colder period in parts of Scotland; Braemar (Aberdeenshire) fell to -7.6C on the 8th/9th & as mentioned above, Braemar & Cromdale (Highland) fell as low as -8.6C on the 9th/10th. As fronts became slow moving in a very moist tropical maritime airmass, November 18th-19th saw a very heavy rainfall event across many parts of Wales, the NW and S Scotland. Seathwaite (Cumbria) reported 314mm in a 24 hour period, one of the highest 24 hour totals ever recorded in the UK. This caused severe flooding downstream in the catchment areas around Kendal and Cockermouth (both Cumbria) with loss of life and several bridges washed away, along with severe damaging flooding, especially in and around Cockermouth. Parts of southern Scotland were also badly affected.
Gravesend (Kent) reached 17.3C on the 21st, close to the all time record for this day. Finally, on November 28th/29th a deep low of around 970mb, developed to the SW and then ran east into north Devon overnight before sinking slowly ESE on the 29th. Wind gusts of 86mph were reported at Polruan CG station near Fowey and 80mph at Lands End (both Cornwall) overnight. Fylingdales (North Yorks) recorded 42mm in 24 hours. There was localised flooding in Devon especially around Plymouth & Exeter. Further flooding was reported in Yorkshire overnight, as the wrap around occlusion became slow moving, so ending a notably autunmal period in this year.
