Flowers of Silky Oak

No temperatures were extreme in this month. In the second week, the mean weekly temperature was four degrees above normal, rather like the last week of September.
Dry air on the 6th and on the 31st made the dew point eight degrees low, but humid air on the 11th made it seven degrees high.
My rain gauge registered six rain days, with high readings of 38.5 mm on the 9th, 22.0 mm on the 12th, and 16.8 mm on the 21st. (The automatic gauge at the Museum remained down.)

Comparing October months

As shown by the arrow on the second graph, October months became warmer and more moist with each year from 2012 to 2015. October 2016 was very cool, then this month was again warm. The trend to more moisture continued through all six October months from 2012 to 2017. It was shown not only by rainfall, but also by cloudiness, dew point, and narrowing daily temperature range. No other calendar months had this trend.
The high total rainfall of 84.1 mm (80th percentile) wiped out the serious and severe rainfall shortages seen in September. Now, the lowest percentile value is that for the 4-month total (117 mm). Being at the 15th percentile, it does not rate as serious.

Note added December 2019.
Data in this post for October 2017 and the preceding October months seem to give no warning of the approach of the drought of 2018-19 – the worst drought in the history of Manilla.

Data. A Bureau of Meteorology automatic rain gauge operates in the museum yard. From 17 March 2017, 9 am daily readings are published as Manilla Museum, Station 55312.  These reports use that rainfall data when it is available.  The gauge last reported on 24 September 2017.

All other data, including subsoil at 750 mm, are from 3 Monash Street, Manilla.