Last month’s weather conditions reached new records for October.

Dramatic weather was felt last month, as Atlantic storms brought in gale-force winds and warm air from the south.

The mean wind speed of 17.1mph was higher in comparison to the long term mean of 15.6mph with the maximum gust recorded of 78mph at Ronaldsway Airport - a new record for October.

Temperatures were above average making October the first month with above average temperatures since June.

The mean temperature measured 12.5°C, compared to the October average of 11.2°C, with a maximum 17.7°C during Storm Ophelia - the highest recorded this late in the year since 1997.

Dust from the Sahara and smoke from the Portugese fires were transported by Storm Ophelia on October 16, which also brought in Force 6 gusts of wind.

About 130 trees collapsed due to the wind pressure, causing disruptions to road users.

Operations manager of the Department of Infrastucture’s highway division, Alan Hardinge, said his team dealt with nearly 400 calls throughout the day.

The ex-hurricaine affected ferry crossings and flights to and from the island, with trips being cancelled due to the dangerous conditions.

Many homes experienced powercuts, as cables had been damaged, and coastal addresses were given sandbags in case flooding occured. Fortunately tides were too low for there to be any problems.

The island later suffered another hit when Storm Brian swept in with gale-force winds just days after Ophelia, causing more disruptions to transport services.

Following the storm, one vehicle was swept down a river in The Garey Ford where Ramsey police and fire crews rescued the driver from the rapid waters. The driver fortunately did not suffer any injuries.

Wind pressure and temperatures dropped after the excitement of the storms with the first ground frost of the season of minus 0.9°C on October 27.

The wettest days were on October 11 and 19 as rainfall measured 18.7mm, which caused localised flooding, however this was mainly due to leaves blocking drains.

There were only 74 hours of bright sunshine during the month, 28% below normal making it the dullest October for six years.

No hail, thunder or fog was observed during the month.