Ilkley Baptist

November was the third wettest month I've recorded, well over twice the monthly average. It pushes the total for the year up to 29.37, which is on the low side for the eleven months we've had.

November's total, now 6.14 inches, makes it the wettest month since January last year, and the fourth wettest month since the start of 2003. The record since I've lived in Ilkley goes to June 2007 with 8.63, with August 2004 not far behind on 8.32.

These are astonishingly wet months. When I lived in London, the wettest month I recorded was December 1989 at 4.63 inches. In Cheadle Hulme the record was October 2000 which reached 7.29, followed by November 2000 with 7.19. This was the autumn that caused immense damage to property across the country.

Looking at averages, the monthly total in Ilkley (in my back yard to be precise) works out at just under 3 inches. The annual total is just over 34 inches, with the wettest being last year at 40.51 inches, and the driest, so far, this year, at 27.83, but we still have 34 days to go. (2003 and 2006 only just passed 30 inches.)

Monthly averages are interesting

January 3.77

February 1.98

March 2.15

April 2.31

May 2.36

June 3.16

July 3.29

August 3.79

September 2.23

October 3.17

November 3.03

December 2.81

What is most interesting, I think, is the lack of a clear pattern! I expected that the summers would be unusually wet, and they are above the average, but much of that is due to two exceptionally high totals, which don't constitute a trend. Perhaps the most significant pattern is the dryish springs we have had. Summer Autumn and Winter have been pretty equal.

I will update the figures when November and December's totals are in.

The rainfall for November has now exceeded 6 inches, making it the wettest month since January 2008. It's been making it very difficult to get out on my bike. Not good cycling weather this, dark early, the roads slippery and the weather wet. Not good astronomy weather either. Far too much cloud to see anything. Great for reading books, though.

I lit the winter's first coal fire, this afternoon. Why does it give me such pleasure to burn stuff indoors? And to enjoy the variable radiant heat of a real fire? It's probably not so mysterious, it reminds me of childhood and the fires which were such an important part of family life.

I wonder if a vintage paraffin heater would give me as much pleasure?

No, not a comment on the eloquent David Nutt's disgraceful sacking. Much more prosaic.

A packet of 16 soluble aspirin from Boots. 79p. A bargain, I thought.

A packet of 16 soluble aspirin (Aspro) from a corner shop. £2.49. Not really surprising.

A packet of 16 'dispersible aspirin' (no fizz) from Tesco. 16p. Don't know what to say.

You can see that, though you lead a restricted life with swine flu, it isn't entirely without interest.