‘Exceptionally wet’ start to the year as flooding and downpours set to continue

Britain has seen an “exceptionally wet” start to the year with record-breaking rainfall and no sign of a prolonged dry spell for at least a week, forecasters have said.

Nearly 100 areas have been warned to expect flooding on Monday as downpours continue, with a yellow weather warning in force for much of southern Wales and England.

At least 300 properties have been flooded so far, the Environment Agency estimates.

It comes after a record-breaking month of rain, which became the wettest January on record for Cornwall in south-west England and County Down in Northern Ireland, according to the Met Office.

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The forecaster said many have been left with a sense that winter has been “stuck on repeat”, with 26 of its weather stations setting new records for January rainfall.

The UK has already seen 89% of the average rainfall expected for meteorological winter (December, January and February), while England has exceeded it by 11%, it said.

Parts of Devon, Cornwall, Worcestershire, Somerset and West Sussex have recorded more than 30 consecutive days of rain, while North Wyke in Devon, Cardinham in Cornwall, and Astwood Bank in Worcestershire have seen it rain every day of the year so far.

Chief forecaster Neil Armstrong said: “The past few weeks have felt relentlessly wet, with repeated bands of rain sweeping in from the Atlantic and creating increasingly saturated ground across large parts of the UK.

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“This persistent unsettled pattern has been driven by a strong, south-shifted jet stream steering low pressure systems directly towards the UK.”

Flooding and travel disruption is expected across large parts of southern England and Wales on Monday, with 10-15mm of rain likely to fall widely, and up to 20-30mm possible in exposed areas, the Met Office said.

The Environment Agency (EA) warned flooding was expected in 98 areas on Monday, mostly across the south of England, around the southern Welsh border and in the East Midlands, and was possible in a further 175 areas.

Andrew Hitchings, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: “With another band of rain on its way, we need the public to remain vigilant to the risk of flooding.

“As well as significant groundwater remaining likely in parts of Dorset and Wiltshire, there are risks of significant river flooding impacts on the Somerset Levels, with minor river flooding impacts expected in parts of the East Midlands and probable in Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

“So far more 16,000 homes and business have been protected but sadly 300 have suffered flooding and our thoughts are with those communities affected.

“Our teams will continue to do all they can to support local people, with pumps, temporary barriers and by clearing waterways to ensure flood water can drain away.”

Senior operational meteorologist Simon Partridge said: “The weather is set to remain unsettled throughout the remainder of the week with further spells of wet and windy weather for many areas of the UK.

“With so much rain having already fallen over parts of the UK this year, many areas are sensitive to further rainfall. Therefore, further rainfall warnings are likely as the week progresses.

“There is currently no sign of any prolonged dry weather for the next seven to 10 days.”