Despite a near normal start to October 2014, exceptional warmth took over from mid-month bumping the national monthly average temperature close to the October 1988 record. October 25th saw a national October maximum temperature of 36.39 degrees for the whole of Australia, making it the hottest October day nationwide on record. The previous hottest October day was 36.31 degrees on the 31st October 1988. Across the eastern capitals, the Harbour City is likely to end up the month at about two degrees above the norm (nudging 20 degrees when combining both daytime and night-time temperatures). This makes it the seventh warmest October on record and the fourth in a decade. On the bright side, Sydney will be the only capital city meeting month's end with above average rainfall having gained 87mm, about 113% of its monthly average rain. 71mm of which fell to 9am on Wednesday 15th as severe storms ravaged the city whilst snow fell on the Blue Mountains. Further north, Brisbane temperatures have been close to average for the month yet only 5.8mm of rainfall fell from the skies. This is only 8% of the city's average October rainfall making it the driest October since 1992 and the driest in 15 months. The city on the Yarra is likely to finish with an average October temperature of 16.8 degrees, its fourth warmest October on record and warmest since 2008 with an average temperature of 16.8 degrees (2 above the norm). Although only 52mm fell during the month in Melbourne (78%), the 25.6mm that fell to 9am on the 27th made it the wettest day since 26th September 2013. Severe storms on this day ended a remarkably long spell between decent rainfall. Extreme events are an integral part of these cities and isolated extreme events can easily tip the balance bringing snow just a week before extreme heat or the wettest day in over a year during a relatively dry month. With El Nino-like conditions remaining in the Pacific, warmer than average temperatures and below average rainfall seem to be here to stay for the coming months, but extremes can never be ruled out in this ... Great Southern Land.