AUTUMN was relatively pleasant until the end of October, but then took a distinct turn for the worst. November was remarkably unsettled, very wet, windy but mild.

Some places in the Dales, with over three times their average rainfall, had more than in any month in the past 30 years. Elsewhere, there was mostly up to twice the usual and it was the wettest November since 2000.

So, despite the previous two months being quite dry, the autumn generally ended on the damp side, with a 10- 50pc excess over the mean.

Temperatures overall were a good 1C (2F) above normal.

Nevertheless, it was the warmest November since only 2006. This applied to the season too, but the autumn of 2006 was the balmiest for probably 200 years.

For much of the month, depressions headed relentlessly north-east across the Atlantic every few days. Many were very deep and they largely tracked near to or even over Scotland. Being close to their centres meant that their associated fronts, when they crossed our area, were often active, bringing heavy rain at times.

Also, as a consequence, winds were frequently strong and blew chiefly from the south-west, explaining the mildness. On the 1st and around the 20th, their source was far to the south over the ocean, making it exceptionally warm, with the mercury approaching 15C (almost 60F).

The second instance was when Cumbria suffered those devastating floods. The tropical airstream, saturated with moisture, was forced against the mountains by a gale.

Conditions were ideal for continuous torrential rain and they persisted for 36 hours from late on Wednesday the 18th.

At Seathwaite in Borrowdale, 378mm (14.9in) poured down. This represents about one-ninth of their expected annual total but, in the North-East towards the coast, it would typically take seven months to accumulate.

Their peak 24-hour rainfall was 316mm (12.5in) the greatest ever known in the UK. In stark contrast, we were mainly dry.

Our region’s worst prolonged downpours are usually generated when a low sits in the southern North Sea, pulling in winds from the north-east.

Just such a situation arose on Sunday the 29th, after a depression ran east to our south.

Most places had 25mm (1.0ins) in 18 hours with 50mm (2.0ins) in some, as here at Carlton, near Stokesley. This was still much less than my wettest November day, the 2nd in 2000, when 59mm (2.3ins) teemed down in only nine hours.

Even this, unbelievably, was a mere fraction of the drenching experienced in Cumbria 10 days earlier.