Diary of Highlights

1st to 5th
The 1st and 2nd were cool with sunny intervals and showers, some heavy, and a northerly wind increased to gale force later on the 2nd. Bright and showery with winds easing on the 3rd.

The 4th was cloudy with outbreaks of rain, heavy at times. Snow was reported at Lerwick (Shetland) at midday with a temperature of just 0.3 °C. The 5th was sunny, with a few showers in the north.

6th to 14th
The 6th was mostly cloudy with rain. The 7th was cloudy and wet, especially in the south-west.

Rain cleared east during the 8th, followed by isolated showers. The 9th was cloudy and wet, the most persistent rain in the south-west.

The heavy rain continued in the south-west overnight and on the 10th, with Glenlee (Dumfries & Galloway) recording a 24-hour rainfall total of 76.8 mm on the 10th, leading to widespread flooding.

The north brightened with Aboyne (Aberdeenshire) reaching a maximum temperature of 19.6 °C. The 11th was mainly sunny, although some thundery showers in the north-west.

Mainly bright on the 12th, after the clearance of patchy fog. Rain across the north-west, pushed southwards on the 13th, followed by sunshine and showers.

The showers were mainly across the north and north-west, where it was also windy. Bright across the north-east with an early ground frost on the 14th.

Occasional showers further north with rain developing and clearing across the south.

15th to 25th
Early rain clearing on the 15th, then cooler with scattered showers and isolated thunder in the north.

Scattered showers on the 16th, heavy and blustery in the north at first. The 17th was mostly cloudy and showery in the north-west, but brighter in the east.

The 18th was bright with showers. Severe gales affected the north-west on the 19th with Stornoway recording a gust of 69 m.p.h.

Rain was heavy in places, bringing 24-hour rainfall totals of 50.6 mm at Skye Lusa and 47.4 mm at Eskdalemuir (Dumfries & Galloway) on the 19th.

Sunshine and blustery showers on the 20th, some heavy and prolonged across the west. Windy with gales, severe at times.

Blustery on the 21st, with frequent and heavy showers (lying snow above 600 metres). Showers on the 22nd over the north and west with rain reaching the west coast during the evening.

The 23rd was very windy with heavy rain in the west, with Skye Lusa recording a 48-hour rainfall total of 86.8 mm on the 22nd/23rd.

A gust of 82 m.p.h. was reported at Edinburgh Blackford Hill on the 23rd. Sunny intervals and heavy showers on the 24th.

The 25th was wet and windy with severe gale or storm force south-west winds and a gust of 93 m.p.h. was recorded at Lerwick on the 25th.

26th to 31st
Sunny intervals and showers on the 26th, with snow falling on the mountains. Showers in the north on the 27th, turning wintry to low level later.

Frequent snow showers affected the north on the 28th, elsewhere mainly sunny.

Exceptionally cold on the 28th, with Aviemore (Highland) only recording a maximum temperature of 2.3 °C and some areas had their coldest October day for over 50 years.

Scattered showers in the north and east on the 29th and 30th, some of the showers wintry at times. Aviemore reported snow lying at 0900 UTC on the 27th, 28th and 29th, with a depth of 5 cm on the 27th.

Altnaharra (Highland) recorded a minimum temperature of -6.4 °C on the 30th.

Scattered showers on the 31st, mainly in the north, east and the Borders, although mostly dry and bright elsewhere.