October can be an unpredictable month when it comes to the weather. Traditionally the transition period between autumn and winter, it can be mild and sunny – but then it can suddenly change to Arctic temperatures.
The Met office strives to keep us up to date with the latest weather forecasts, but when you’re looking at the sunshine and basking in the warmth, it can be hard to heed their warnings that frost and floods may be on their way within days.
Trick or treat?
Just like Halloween, the October weather seems to play its own game of trick or treat on the UK population by not quite deciding whether we’re having a late Indian summer or an early freezing winter! This leaves people wondering whether it’s a treat to have hotter days in October or whether it tricks us by confusing the seasons.
We’re finding the seasons are not seasons like we used to know, thanks to the unpredictable weather extremes and global warming. The Met Office recorded the hottest October day on record, at 23.9°C, in Anglesey on 10th October 2018.
Wrexham and Flintshire also basked in unseasonably high temperatures and people were enjoying a surprise mini-heatwave. However, just days later, after being lulled into a false sense of security, Storm Callum hit our shores, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.
Average October temperature
The average October temperature for the UK is 14°C, so a temperature of 23.9°C in 2018 was so remarkable it made the headlines in all the national newspapers. In October 2019, the hottest temperature in the UK was 17°C. This October, our warmest day so far has been 15°C, although it feels milder due to the sunshine and not much wind.
Don’t get too complacent though, as the Met Office is forecasting it may be freezing towards the end of this month! The cold snap started early in parts of Scotland, with some unfortunate residents waking up to “close to freezing” temperatures on 14th October.
The mini-heatwave of October 2018 seems a distant memory, as the latest forecast is for a 1,000-mile wide cold front to spread across the UK, reaching our shores later this month, with the possibility of temperatures as low as -10°C in some parts of the country as we go into November. Dubbed the “Norwegian barrage”, local councils are said to be ready with the gritters in case the frost arrives early.
There has already been heavy rain during the first week in October, with the Met Office reporting parts of Hampshire and Somerset had seen a month’s rainfall in just 42 hours! Homes were flooded in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. The weather doesn’t seem to know what to do with itself.
Can you use air-con in October?
The strange weather conditions beg the question, should you still be using your air con in October? Air conditioning is something you can use all year round to regulate the temperature in your home.
Using air conditioning in autumn is fine, as the weather can fluctuate a lot. On warmer days, it can still feel stuffy indoors and putting on the air con can keep the temperature in your home feeling fresh. Even when the temperature drops further in October, having an AC system is still effective in providing stable, consistent climate control.
A modern unit, such as our multi-split systems, can reduce your energy consumption, as you can use it to both heat and cool down your space during this changeable month. The most modern systems have a thermostat or controller, so you can change the temperature at the drop of a hat, depending on how the weather changes. You may find an AC system can warm up a space quicker than traditional central heating, so you’re using less energy to reach the ideal temperature.
For further information on how to keep your home’s temperature comfortable all year round, contact GREE UK.
