AFTER October's dabble with the abnormal - it was the first appreciably colder than usual month for a year - temperatures resumed the above-average trend we've come to rely on.

Winds from a south or south-westerly point once more prevailed in November after their minor role in October. In the North-East, it was generally the warmest November for at least four years. Here at Carlton, near Stokesley, it was the third warmest in my 20 years of records, after the Novembers of 1994 and 1997, with that of 1984 very close behind.

Mean minima were milder than October's, those on the grass being a remarkable 1.5C (almost 3F) higher. Temperature levels dropped somewhat during the last ten days, but only to those anticipated for the end of November, and not as abruptly as they did in October.

There were two "heat-waves", about the 6th and the 18th, with the mercury threatening to gain new ground for November on both occasions.

At Carlton, the highest maximum fractionally failed to beat the record, 15.7C (60F) on the 1st in 1984. This is an extreme waiting to be exceeded. With absolute maxima of 24.5C (76F) measured in October on the 1st in 1985 and 15.5C (60F) in December on the 10th in 1994, at least 18C (64F) should be achievable in November.

Despite the largely changeable nature of the month, it was again sunny and quite dry, with half to two-thirds the normal rainfall across the region, but approaching expected values over the Pennines. Some places had their driest November for 14 years, as at Carlton.

It was the third driest in my logs after the Novembers of 1989 and 1983, though others have been only marginally damper. In fact, seven have run-up totals of between 38mm (1.5in), during the driest in 1989, and 50mm (2.0in). A very dry November is therefore long overdue. The highest accumulations in the driest month for each of the other calendar months is a little under 25mm (1.0in) in both May and June. So this is another November record that should readily be broken. February 1985 is my most arid month of all with a mere 4.4mm (0.17in) but November 2000 is my soggiest with a monumental 173mm (6.8in).

The unsettled, northerly spell, which brought October to a cold end, spilled over into November, but the wind, brisk at times, soon backed south-westerly. Atlantic weather systems then moved north-east over the British Isles for much of November. These were accompanied by periods of rain, mainly yielding only small amounts across our district and with well-scattered showers between.

One exception to this regime was around the 5th, when an area of high pressure tracked across France producing that first, very warm interlude. Over the second weekend winds turned easterly temporarily as the high slipped away via Scandinavia. Quite a vigorous depression ran north-east across County Durham on Friday the 14th, giving us all a good blow. This removed most of the remaining leaves from the trees, but again rainfall, at least away from western hills, was trifling.

Another vicious low brushed the north-west of Britain on the final Saturday, providing our strongest winds of the autumn, but nothing worse than what we should be prepared for once a year.

The end of the second exceptionally mild spell was heralded by a cold front meandering its way slowly south-east, crossing us later on Wednesday the 19th. Though the rain lasted about 18 hours, it was mostly light and there were no great totals in our area. When it arrived in south-east England early Friday, it hung on there for three days, giving more than a month's rainfall in places.

The large over-hang of cloud from this front gave the south-east of our region a disappointingly cloudy but dry weekend, whereas to the north-west, it was sunny. The clear skies eventually reached us all later on Sunday and led to widespread, sharp frosts on the following two nights. These were the only ones this month, apart from just the odd touch on the ground. Over the autumn, temperatures were slightly above normal, despite the cold October. It tended to be warm by day but quite cool at night. It was the driest autumn for six years generally and for more than 20 in some parts of the Dales.

NOVEMBER TEMPERATURES & RAINFALL at CARLTON-in-CLEVELAND:

Mean max 10.6C, 51F, (+1.4C, +2.5F)

Mean min 5.1C, 41F, (+1.1C, +2F)

Highest max 15.6C, 60F, 6th

Lowest min -3.9C, 25F, 24th

Total rainfall 42mm, 1.65ins, (-28mm, -1.1ins)

Wettest day 9mm, 0.35ins, 29th; no of rain days with 0.2mm (0.01ins) or more: 13 (-3.5)

Figures in brackets show the difference from the 21-year mean, 1983-2003.