UK weather: Parts of country witness month’s worth of rain in first 10 days of August

Average rainfall in August is 89mm, but so far almost 40 per cent of that total has fallen

Parts of Britain have been pummelled by a month’s worth of rainfall in just the first 10 days of August.

After extreme heat warnings in July, conditions at the start of August have been unsettled in various areas of the UK, including flash flooding and thunderstorms.

The Met Office confirmed on Tuesday that 46mm of rain has fallen in Greater London, which usually sees 53mm for the whole of August.

In West Sussex the downpours have been even more dramatic and the area has seen 98 per cent of its average rainfall for the month, while parts of Surrey have had up to 85 per cent of their total rainfall for August in just over a week.

The average rainfall for the country in August is 89mm, but so far almost 40 per cent of that total has fallen, 10 per cent more than expected, the Met Office said.

Grahame Madge, a Met Office spokesman, said: “August has essentially been a case of mixed fortune with some areas seeing drier weather than usual, while others have virtually had a whole month of rainfall in just 10 days.

“We’re not expecting to see record-breaking weather, as there have certainly been wetter Augusts in the past but many areas have faced a very wet and intense period of rain.

“We are putting this down to an area of low pressure which is moving slowly across the country bringing the damp conditions many have seen.”

Mr Madge said that over the next few days the weather is expected to be “more settled” compared to last week.

Many areas in England and Wales will see clearer and sunnier spells with the temperature likely to hit the low-20s.

Mr Madge added: “Do not expect to see heatwave conditions, but dry, sunny spells for many.

“However, there may be a few outbreaks of rain in Northern Ireland and Scotland as the week progresses.”

Additional reporting by PA