This October in Slovenia was the warmest since at least 1950, shows preliminary data collected by the Environment Agency (ARSO). The median air temperature was well above the average for the whole of the country, as was the number of sunny hours. On the other hand, the quantity of precipitation was well below the average.

According to ARSO, the deviation of the air temperature in October from the average for the 1981-2010 period at the national level was +3.2 degrees Celsius, which makes this October the warmest since at least 1950.

This October surpassed the previous warmest October in Slovenia, recorded in 1966, by 0.2 degrees Celsius and the second warmest October, in 2001, by 0.3 degrees. The coldest October in this period was 1974 with a deviation of -4.6 degrees.

"This October was very warm, especially in the mountains, it was quite warm in most of the country, somewhat less in the north-east and in parts of southern Slovenia," Renato Bertalanič of the ARSO's climate analysis department told the STA.

The previous month was also above the average when it comes to sunshine, with the preliminary data putting it among the dozen sunniest Octobers since 1961.

On the other hand, in terms of the quantity of precipitation, this October was among the ten driest Octobers in Slovenia since 1961. At the national level, it was well below the average for the reference period 1981-2010.

"Compared to the long-term average, the quantity of precipitation this October was at one-third. October was the driest this year in the eastern parts of the country," said Bertalanič.

The agency's drought measurements, also published on Thursday, show that most parts of the country are moderately dry, while parts of the northern Gorenjska and south-eastern Dolenjska regions are very dry.