October was warmer than average for Australia as a whole, with the national mean temperature the fourth-highest on record for October (1.83°C above average). Overall, it was a wetter-than-average month for Australia. Rainfall was above average along the east coast from the Illawarra in NSW, through eastern Qld, and across large parts of Cape York Peninsula and the Gulf Country. However, above-average rainfall missed many of the areas experiencing serious or severe rainfall deficiencies, and was