ITV Channel Weather Watch: What to expect this November

Fabulous fungi and drive-by Dunlins: ITV Channel's weather presenter has all the delightful details for November. Credit: Clockwise from top left: Romano da Costa, Nick Jouault,, Charlotte Shenkin, Odian Samson

It's the time of year for windswept walks and bonfire-roasted marshmallows - November has arrived!

The year is hurtling to an end, and our weather is taking on a frostier feel as the last of the autumn weeks wane away.

Are you missing the summer sun or excited to cosy up indoors with a cup of hot chocolate?

Whatever the answer, you can brace for the elements ahead with a glance at our latest blog.

November weather trends

November tends to be a chilly and rather wet month, as we start to transition from autumn into winter.

The average temperature is around 10.2°C, with rainfall occurring on around 20 days in November. This makes it one of the wettest months of the year on average; second only to December.

Mist and fog are a prevalent weather feature, as low pressure and southwesterly winds occasionally bring mild and moist air north and east over cooling seas.

Very low cloud, mist, and fog can also spread from France under higher pressure, which can lead to persistent and thicker fog, as seen when thousands of travellers were stranded in and out of the islands earlier this month.

As the sun is particularly weak at this time of year, it struggles to break up the fog, leaving it to linger for several days.

November brought wet conditions in 2023. Credit: GUERNSEY MET

By November, we are also well into the stormier season and can often experience blustery weather.

Last year, the islands saw a particularly vigorous low-pressure system when Storm Ciarán hit on 1 and 2 November, bringing hurricane-strength winds with gusts in excess of 100mph.

Meteorologists also believe the storm produced a severe tornado which gave torrential rain and very large hailstones across the island.

These deep, low-pressure systems are fairly common during the autumn and winter seasons, but severe tornados are thankfully exceptionally rare events, with approximately 30 tornadoes being reported a year in the UK.

It was one of the wettest Novembers ever in Jersey last year. Credit: Jersey Met

Now with winter around the corner, is there a chance we'll see some snow on the horizon?

While rare, it's not unheard of; in 1980, 6cm of snow fell over eight hours in early November.

In 1868, a bigger snowfall saw 15cm cover the islands, while in 1890, up to 20cm of snow with 'much drifting' was reported towards the end of the month.

Likewise, there have been spells of unseasonably mild weather, such as when November temperatures reached more than 19°C in 2015.

Average temperatures in November:

Average rainfall in November:

Average sunshine in November:

Wildlife watch

The shaggy parasol can be seen into November Credit: Monica Denning

Fantastic fungi

While fungi can be seen all year round, November has some of the best conditions for most species to send up their fruiting bodies.

Warm and wet weather in summer provides the best conditions for fungi to flourish later in the year. In Jersey alone, around 2,000 mushroom species have been recorded with a few unusual names - such as the 'Shaggy Parasol'.

Remember, mushrooms are safe to observe and to touch but you should never eat a wild mushroom that has not been identified by an expert, particularly if somebody else has given it to you.

Although commonly referred to as a fungus, 'dog vomit slime mold' is technically not a mushroom. Credit: Lynda Harrison

Birds

November is a great month to spot the numerous bird breeds that spend the winter across our islands. Here are just some of the chirpy characters you can keep an eye out for:

Wading birds like Dunlins can be seen around our islands coastlines. Credit: Romano da Costa
Marsh Harriers can be seen all year round but November is one of the best times to spot them. Credit: Romano Da Costa
Snowbuntings are prolific along the coastline at this time of year. Credit: Kim Morton and Romano da Costa
The number of wood pigeons has tripled in Jersey this autumn. Credit: Romano Da Costa

November night skies

The Taurid meteor shower is active from October until December, but it peaks on 11 and 12 November.

It produces around five to ten meteors per hour, but they can be very bright and long-lasting.

You can also see the Leonid meteor shower this month. It's visible between 6 and 30 November but will peak on 18 November.

November's full moon will be a supermoon, meaning it appears bigger and brighter than usual. Credit: Joanna Bramley

In the past, activity from the Leonid shower has been very high, reaching thousands of meteors an hour. This year, the light from the full moon on 16 November will mean less favourable conditions for viewing the Leonid.

There are four supermoons in 2024, and the last one appears this month. Supermoons occur when the full moon is closer to the Earth in its orbit, meaning they are about 7% larger and 15% brighter than an ordinary full moon.

November's full moon is sometimes called a beaver moon, attributed to the high activity of beavers building their dams for the winter.

Dates for the diary

  • 5 November - Bonfire night

  • 11 to 12 November - Taurid meteor shower peaks

  • 16 November - November's full 'beaver moon' and supermoon

  • 18 November - Leonid meteor shower peaks

  • 14 November - Jersey Christmas Lights Switch On

  • 30 November - Guernsey Christmas Lights Switch On

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