The month of October has been the wettest month of the year so far.  In fact the recorded rainfall at V.C Bird Airport, 249.2 millimetres or 9.81 inches is the second highest October amount on record (from 1960).  Most of the rainfall occurred as a result of fairly persistent troughs of low pressure and the passage of tropical waves which interacted with the troughs.  Rainfall was quite frequent with some 17 days of significant rainfall observed. Winds were mainly light and variable at an average of 7.6 knots.  Seas were mainly slight to moderate swells 1 to 2 metres or 4 to 6 feet.

The month began with most of the Eastern Caribbean islands under the influence of a trough of low pressure, which led to cloudy conditions across the islands .  The Atmosphere became even more unstable as an approaching  tropical wave interacted with the trough on the 3^rd, leading to showers and thunderstorm activity which spread Northwards to Antigua and Barbuda and the other Leeward islands, and the British Virgin Islands.  Significant rainfall occurred up to the 5^th leading to the month maximum 24- hour rainfall 37.3 milllimetres on the 4^th, and also the month's maximum 6-hour rainfall 37.2 milllimetres recorded at 18:00 on the 4^th.  Fairer conditions returned to the islands on the 6th and lasted until the 8th.  winds were mainly ENE at 7 knots.

An approaching tropical wave on the 8^th and the now persistent trough of low pressure once again led to moist and unstable conditions across all the East Caribbean islands.  Increasing cloudy skies with scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms occurred resulted in  15.1 millimetres of rainfall on the 10^th and 33.0 millimetres on the 14^th. Winds were mainly light and variable and calm at times at 5.1 knots and a 10-minute max wind of 13 knots on the 16^th as a result of the passage of a tropical wave.

By the 15^th, the trough of low pressure had migrated Westward and extended from Hispaniola Southeast across the Southern Windward islands, then Northeast over the Western Atlantic. This system, combined with low level moisture and continued to maintain unstable weather conditions across Hispaniola, Puerto Rico and the Southern islands from the Windward islands to Trinidad, where the trough interacted with the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone.  By the 18^th a tropical wave moved across the Leeward islands generating cloudy spells and showers before interacting with a broad low level trough  across the Eastern Caribbean.  This interaction along with a general increase in available moisture and instability, continued to generate periods of cloudy to overcast skies with scattered showers and  thunderstorms across all the Eastern Caribbean islands.   The atmosphere across the Caribbean islands remained moist and unstable due to an abundance of low level moisture and a series of low pressure troughs up until the 29^th,  when the existing trough trough weakened but continued to cause partly cloudy skies with some cloudy periods and scattered showers across all the islands, but reduced shower activity up to the end of the month.  A total of 118.3 milllimetres or 4.66 inches of rainfall occurred during the period of 15^th - 29^th, with a 24-hour max of  24.7 millimetres on the 19^th and a 6-hour max of 17.1 millimetres on the 24^th.  Winds were mainly variable at 7.7 knots while Seas were mainly slight to moderate with waves 1.2-1.8m or 4-6ft.

MONTHLY WEATHER SUMMARY
 FOR THE PERIOD 01/10/2004 AT 13:00 TO 01/11/2004 AT 12:00  

WEATHER: PARTLY CLOUDY              WINDS: VRB  AT  7.6   KNOTS              MAX  10-MIN WIND: 17  KNOTS      DATE:  16/10/2004  AT  18:00              BARO PRESS: 1012.2  MILLIBARS   NORMAL               TOTAL RAINFALL: 249.2  MILLIMETRES  9.81  INCHES      MAX 24-HOUR:  37.3  MM   DATE :   4/10/2004               MAX 6-HR RAINFALL: 37.2 MILLIMETRES        DATE:  04/10/2004  AT  18:00               RAINFALL STATUS: ABOVE NORMAL               AVG MAX TEMP: 29.1   DEGREES CELSIUS       MAX:  32.1   DEGREES CELSIUS   DATE:  11/10/2004  AT  06:00               AVG MIN TEMP: 25.4   DEGREES CELSIUS       MIN:   22.3   DEGREES CELSIUS    DATE:  04/10/2004  AT  18:00               AVG TEMP: 27.0   DEGREES CELSIUS       WARMEST DAY:  28.2  DATE :  5/10/2004    COOLEST DAY:   25.2  DATE :  21/10/2004               AVG REL HUM: 82.7  %      MOST HUMID-DAY:  89.8 %   DATE :  21/10/2004      LEAST HUMID-DAY:   75.7 %   DATE :  15/10/2004

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Monthly Comparison with the long-term average Rainfall

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 Keithley Meade