October is one of the warmer months of the year in Durham, with average highs near 12°C and lows around 6.5°C (mean 9.3°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 83 mm of rainfall and 90% relative humidity across the period.
October is one of the warmer months of the year in Durham. Across 45 years of records, the warmest October in Durham was 2001 — when the month averaged 11.5°C — while the coldest was 1981 at 6.1°C. Typical October days reach 12°C with nights near 6.5°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.4°C per decade.
October is a relatively wet time of year in Durham, averaging 83 mm of rainfall. The wettest October on record was 2002 with 136 mm, while the driest was 1985 at 30 mm.
Relative humidity in Durham during October averages 90%. The most humid October was 1987 at 92%, and the least humid were 1983 and 2003 at 88%.
October receives about 1.5 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Durham. The sunniest October was 2003 at 1.8 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1987, 1989 and 2005 at 1.3.
Average wind speed in Durham during October is 4 m/s. The windiest October was 1983 at 5.5 m/s, while the calmest was 1993 at 2.7 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 8.7°C | 8.8°C | 9.6°C | 9.4°C | 10.2°C | +1.5°C |
| Avg High | 11.4°C | 11.5°C | 12.4°C | 12.2°C | 12.9°C | +1.5°C |
| Avg Low | 6.0°C | 6.1°C | 6.9°C | 6.6°C | 7.4°C | +1.4°C |
| Avg Rain | 80 mm | 71 mm | 93 mm | 80 mm | 98 mm | +17 mm |
October temperatures in Durham have risen by about 1.8°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
October has ranged from a record low of -2.5°C (1997) to a record high of 22°C (2011).
Rainfall in October is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 83 mm, with a wettest year of 136 mm.
A good time to visit Durham
October is a good time to visit Durham, with days averaging 12°C and nights around 6.5°C (mean 9.3°C, close to Durham's yearly average) and higher rainfall. July and August are marginally more temperate, but October still suits most travellers.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12.6°C | 9.9°C | 7.2°C | 17.0°C | 2.7°C | 72 mm | 90% | 4.1 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2024 | 13.0°C | 10.1°C | 7.2°C | 15.7°C | 1.3°C | 85 mm | 91% | 3.9 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2023 | 12.9°C | 10.2°C | 7.5°C | 18.9°C | 1.7°C | 113 mm | 91% | 4 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2022 | 13.9°C | 11.0°C | 8.1°C | 16.6°C | 3.5°C | 83 mm | 90% | 4.4 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2021 | 13.2°C | 10.5°C | 7.9°C | 17.7°C | 2.2°C | 127 mm | 90% | 4.3 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2020 | 11.8°C | 9.2°C | 6.5°C | 15.5°C | 3.8°C | 108 mm | 91% | 3.9 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2019 | 10.7°C | 8.2°C | 5.6°C | 13.1°C | 2.1°C | 119 mm | 91% | 3.7 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2018 | 12.3°C | 9.0°C | 5.7°C | 20.0°C | 0.2°C | 58 mm | 89% | 4.3 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2017 | 13.3°C | 10.6°C | 8.0°C | 18.0°C | 1.6°C | 77 mm | 91% | 4.8 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2016 | 12.1°C | 9.5°C | 6.9°C | 15.2°C | 5.0°C | 43 mm | 91% | 3.1 m/s | 1.6 |
| 2015 | 12.8°C | 9.6°C | 6.4°C | 17.2°C | 4.2°C | 68 mm | 90% | 2.9 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2014 | 13.3°C | 10.4°C | 7.5°C | 17.0°C | 2.6°C | 87 mm | 90% | 4.4 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2013 | 13.0°C | 10.6°C | 8.2°C | 18.7°C | 4.4°C | 95 mm | 91% | 4.6 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2012 | 10.3°C | 7.2°C | 4.2°C | 13.0°C | 1.0°C | 99 mm | 92% | 3.2 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2011 | 12.9°C | 10.1°C | 7.4°C | 22.0°C | 1.4°C | 81 mm | 90% | 4.5 m/s | 1.6 |
| 2010 | 11.7°C | 8.8°C | 6.0°C | 15.8°C | -0.9°C | 74 mm | 91% | 4 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2009 | 12.6°C | 9.8°C | 7.0°C | 14.9°C | 2.9°C | 76 mm | 91% | 3.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2008 | 10.9°C | 8.2°C | 5.5°C | 15.5°C | -0.2°C | 85 mm | 90% | 4.7 m/s | 1.7 |
| 2007 | 13.2°C | 10.0°C | 6.8°C | 16.8°C | 3.0°C | 36 mm | 91% | 2.9 m/s | 1.6 |
| 2006 | 14.0°C | 11.1°C | 8.2°C | 16.5°C | 4.2°C | 100 mm | 91% | 3.7 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2005 | 13.9°C | 11.1°C | 8.4°C | 17.3°C | 5.7°C | 115 mm | 91% | 3.8 m/s | 1.3 |
| 2004 | 11.6°C | 9.3°C | 6.9°C | 14.3°C | 4.2°C | 131 mm | 91% | 3.9 m/s | 1.5 |
| 2003 | 10.9°C | 8.2°C | 5.5°C | 15.9°C | 2.1°C | 41 mm | 88% | 3.8 m/s | 1.8 |
| 2002 🌧️ | 10.8°C | 8.3°C | 5.8°C | 19.7°C | 0.3°C | 136 mm | 90% | 3.9 m/s | 1.4 |
| 2001 🔥 | 14.1°C | 11.5°C | 9.0°C | 17.3°C | 4.8°C | 100 mm | 91% | 4.7 m/s | 1.6 |
| 2000 | 11.6°C | 8.6°C | 5.5°C | 17.6°C | 1.7°C | 110 mm | 91% | 4.2 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1999 | 11.9°C | 9.3°C | 6.7°C | 16.0°C | 2.1°C | 51 mm | 89% | 4.3 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1998 | 11.0°C | 8.3°C | 5.6°C | 15.9°C | -1.0°C | 111 mm | 89% | 5.1 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1997 | 11.6°C | 8.6°C | 5.6°C | 17.7°C | -2.5°C | 55 mm | 89% | 3.5 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1996 | 12.8°C | 9.9°C | 7.0°C | 16.1°C | 2.9°C | 69 mm | 90% | 4.6 m/s | 1.7 |
| 1995 | 14.2°C | 11.3°C | 8.4°C | 18.7°C | 2.1°C | 51 mm | 89% | 4.7 m/s | 1.7 |
| 1994 | 11.6°C | 8.6°C | 5.6°C | 16.6°C | 0.5°C | 65 mm | 90% | 3.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1993 | 9.8°C | 7.1°C | 4.4°C | 14.2°C | -1.6°C | 76 mm | 90% | 2.7 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1992 | 8.8°C | 6.2°C | 3.6°C | 14.1°C | -1.9°C | 64 mm | 91% | 3.6 m/s | 1.5 |
| 1991 | 11.2°C | 8.8°C | 6.4°C | 15.6°C | 1.9°C | 81 mm | 90% | 4.2 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1990 | 12.4°C | 9.9°C | 7.3°C | 18.1°C | 3.0°C | 87 mm | 90% | 4.6 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1989 | 12.8°C | 10.0°C | 7.3°C | 15.5°C | 4.6°C | 69 mm | 89% | 4.2 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1988 | 11.4°C | 8.8°C | 6.2°C | 14.6°C | -0.6°C | 102 mm | 91% | 3.9 m/s | 1.4 |
| 1987 | 10.5°C | 7.9°C | 5.2°C | 15.5°C | 0.6°C | 122 mm | 92% | 3.4 m/s | 1.3 |
| 1986 | 11.8°C | 9.0°C | 6.1°C | 16.3°C | 2.8°C | 52 mm | 90% | 4.4 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1985 | 12.6°C | 9.9°C | 7.2°C | 20.9°C | 3.8°C | 30 mm | 90% | 3.1 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1984 | 12.3°C | 9.5°C | 6.8°C | 16.9°C | 4.3°C | 81 mm | 89% | 4.3 m/s | 1.6 |
| 1983 | 11.3°C | 8.5°C | 5.7°C | 17.1°C | -1.6°C | 67 mm | 88% | 5.5 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 11.4°C | 8.7°C | 6.0°C | 14.9°C | 1.3°C | 87 mm | 92% | 3.9 m/s | — |
| 1981 ❄️ | 8.8°C | 6.1°C | 3.4°C | 14.1°C | -1.6°C | 113 mm | 91% | 4 m/s | — |
Actual recorded October data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in October is around 12°C with lows near 6.5°C (mean 9.3°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
October averages 83 mm of rainfall in Durham, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 136 mm in 2002.
The hottest October reached 22°C in 2011. The coldest dipped to -2.5°C in 1997.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average October temperatures have risen by about 1.8°C. Daytime highs moved from 11.3°C to 13.1°C and overnight lows from 5.8°C to 7.6°C over the same span.
October is one of the warmer months of the year in Durham and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 12°C daytime highs and 6.5°C at night.
Not quite — October is the 7th coolest month in Durham, averaging 9.3°C.
For October in Durham, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 12°C and lows of 6.5°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in October averages 90% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in October is 4 m/s. The windiest October on record averaged 5.5 m/s (1983).
The wettest October on record was 2002 with 136 mm. On average, October sees 83 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Durham behaves each October, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for October specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
