An historical perspective of the climate statistics for Coventry during October 2023
Temperature
In the twentieth century, there was little sign of warming in October, perhaps just a 0.3°C rise in average temperatures, though since the Millennium, there has been a 1.3°C increase on the 1990’s. The 2001 to 2020 October average was 11.4C compared to 10.2C average from 1991 to 2000.
In the first three years of this current decade, the mean October temperature (2021-2023) has been a staggering 12.7C, compared to 10.3C a century ago.
However, October 2023 (12.6C) has not been as warm as October last year (13.2C). Only 7 October months have been warmer since 1892 (1921, 1995, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2011, 2022).
The first 10 months of 2023 have been one of the warmest (12.2C) such January to October periods in over 131 years, equal with 1990 but below the equivalent period in 2022 (12.5C).
- 9thThe warmest day of the month (25.1C) was the highest such value since 2011 (28.2C); only 3 October days have been warmer since 1892 (1959, 1985, 2011).
Early month, October 2023 was exceptionally warm for the time of year, averaging 22.9C by day in the 4 days from the 6th to the 9th day of the month, not quite as warm as similar warm periods in 1921 (6 days) nor 1959 (7 days) both at 23.0C, though eclipsed by the 3 day heatwave in October 2011 (27.0C).
Rainfall
October is renowned as the wettest month of the year in Coventry (69.4mm from 1991-2020), with autumn our wettest season.
Easy to believe this year with 130.6mm of rain, 188% of the 30-year Coventry average (1991-2020).
This has been the fourth October in a row (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023) to record more than 100mm of rain; even 2019 recorded close to 100mm of rain (95.0mm), so averaging 113.7mm in the past five October months.
So, this has been the wettest October in Coventry since 2013 (146.4mm), and the wettest for any month for 10 years. However, it only ranks 10th wettest October in the city since 1870 behind 1875, 1880, 1882, 1981, 1903, 1906, 1949, 1960, 2013.
Sunshine
Although there was a 59% increase in sunshine levels in Coventry between 1894 and 1999, the early 21st century (2001 to 2020 = 96.2hr) has seen a fall in sunshine totals back below the levels more common in the 1980s (103.4hr).
With 100.4hr of sunshine this year, 99% of average, this has been the dullest October in Coventry since 2021 (96.5hr).