Whilst not as warm, the next two days of October 2002 were still fine, and the 4th to the 6th were fine and pleasant, as well as sunny. The 4th was the sunniest day and also had the highest air pressure reading of the month. The weather was overcast on the 7th and 8th, and turned cooler from the 9th onwards, but the anti-cyclone maintained it's hold until the 11th. Its grip was well and truly broken on the 12th however, when a front brought a very wet day with 16 millimetres of rain. It was the first recorded rain since the 9th September.

The 13th was dry but a series of depressions tracked North-East across England and Wales during the next few days. There was rain on the 14th but that night was mild and dry. The evening of the 15th though was very stormy with driving rain and strong winds. There were showers on the 16th but a ridge of high pressure brought a brief respite between the 17th and the 19th. Whilst cool, the 18th and 19th were fine and sunny.

This didn't last, as a new depression tracked slowly north-east across England and Wales between the 20th and the 23rd. Air pressure fell to 981MB on the 22nd, the lowest recorded during the month. The 20th was a cold and wet day, and the 21st was also very wet. It rained all day and was particularly wet in the morning. The 22nd and 23rd were also unsettled, and the 25th was also another wet day, but good sunshine totals were recorded on the 24th and 26th.

Another deep depression on the 27th brought heavy rain and strong winds but the 28th was a quieter, sunny day. Whilst there was rain on the 29th, the 30th and 31st were quiet and dull, as an anticyclone from the South-East took hold.

Rainfall for October 2002 was well above average, though no rain fell for the first eleven days. No rain fell at all between September 10th and October 11th, a time span of 31 days and surpassing the absolute drought of 27 days that occurred earlier in the year, when no rain was recorded between March 21st and April 17th. The 12th, 15th, 20th, 21st, 25th and 27th were very wet days, but the month wasn't as wet as October 1998 or October 2000. The last October that was drier than average was in 1997, and there hasn't been a very dry October recorded since 1985.

Sunshine totals were around average, but it was the dullest October since 1992. Overall, temperatures were also around average, despite the warm start to the month.

Kevin Phillips – 8.50pm – Wednesday 6th November 2002.