THE series of remarkably alternating, extremely wet and dry months that we've experienced this year now extends to November. Following one of the wettest Octobers in the North-East in the past few decades, we've had one of the driest Novembers, with about one-third of the normal rainfall.

Here at Carlton-in-Cleveland, near Stokesley, it was the driest in my 22-year record. I measured 28mm (1.1ins), 10mm (0.4ins) less than in the previous holder in 1989. Not far behind that month were the Novembers of 1983, 1999, 2001 and 2003, all with rainfall in the range 40 to 44mm (1.6-1.75ins).

Long, dry spells just don't seem to feature in November as they do occasionally during the rest of the year. Lowest accumulations in most other months are around 10mm (0.4ins). The smallest of any in my data is the 4mm (0.15ins) in February 1985, with a fraction more in another February, in 1998.

So, November wasn't exactly bone dry and neither did it give that impression. There was frequent rain or drizzle and the number of days on which it fell was only one or two less than usual. However, amounts were mainly minimal, often just enough to wet everywhere.

At this time of the year, with low temperatures and high humidities, things are inevitably slow to dry outside. Also, with the ground so cold, when there is warm, humid air above it, far from drying out, moisture actually condenses on it. Consequently, it is invariably damp, giving the appearance that it has rained recently, often when it hasn't.

An area of high pressure built across northern Britain during the last week-end of October. This soon transferred south-east into the continent, allowing weak frontal systems to move from the south at first, then the west, around the middle of the first week of November.

Bonfire Night was fine and ideal for the firework displays across our region, thanks to another anticyclone heading our way, which came to a halt off south-west England. This and its successors remained in that vicinity for the rest of the month. Despite their presence, the weather fluctuated appreciably.

For much of the time, we were affected by a mild airstream circulating clock-wise round the highs and originating from the southern North Atlantic. Fronts embedded in the flow were feeble and usually gave little rain. Between them, the air was sometimes very moist and also brought a lot of low cloud and patchy drizzle. The first week-end was particularly dull, misty and miserable.

Now and then, a depression deepened as it ran round the top of the anticyclones and into southern Scandinavia. The associated cold front gave the odd sharp burst of rain as it trekked south-eastwards. In its wake for a couple of days or so, a cool, brisk north to north-westerly was drawn down from northern latitudes, carrying with it a few slight showers, mostly near the coast.

In the warmer spells, temperatures were quite balmy with 12 to 13C (the mid-fifties F) being typical, whereas in the cold snaps the mercury toiled to achieve 7 to 8C (the mid-forties F), though these latter levels were only slightly below normal. In the cooler interludes, too, the odd clear and calm night resulted in a widespread ground frost. Here at Carlton, as in many other places, the first air frost of the winter was relatively late this year, in the early hours of Saturday the 13th.

However, the blast from the north around the third week-end was especially vigorous and emanated from well above the Arctic Circle. As a result, another milestone was passed on our unstoppable journey into winter as the precipitation turned to sleet, even snow on the hills, with some lying on the highest moors.

Temperatures as high as 15C (59F) were reached in one or two spots on the afternoon of Wednesday the 17th but on the Friday and Saturday they struggled to 3 to 4C (the upper thirties F). Additionally at sunset, they plummeted, giving three very frosty nights. The coldest occurred around 3am on Sunday the 21st, with the mercury plunging to -7.5C (18.5F) in a few low-lying areas. But, within 24 hours, they had climbed amazingly by as much as 20C (36F) to near 12C (54F), as mild south-westerlies once again invaded the British Isles.

Only in that one brief cold snap were temperatures significantly below anticipated values and with the warmer periods predominating, the month ended up well above the norm, by 1C (almost 2F).

The autumn was about 0.5C (1F) milder than the mean. As for November, the last cooler than average autumn was six years ago. Even though October was very wet, with two arid months flanking it, the season ended up on the dry side, with a rainfall deficit generally of around ten per cent.

November temperatures and rainfall at Carlton-in-Cleveland: mean max 10.0C, 50F, (+0.9C, +1.6F); mean min 4.4C, 40F, (+0.4C, +0.7F); highest max13.4C, 56F, 17th; lowest min -4.9C, 23F, 21st; total rainfal 28mm, 1.1ins, (-42mm, -1.65ins); wettest day 8mm,0.3ins, 27th; Rain days, with 0.2mm (0.01ins) or more: 15 (-1.5) Figures in brackets show the difference from the 21-year mean, 1983-2003.