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A month of torrential downpours has seen some parts of England suffer the wettest January since records began more than 100 years ago.
The south-east and southern regions of England have already
received more than twice their average rainfall – a combined total
of 175.2mm beating a previous record of 158.2mm in January
1988.
While the Army was sent in
today to help support residents of the flooded Somerset Levels,
the South-west and south Wales can take some limited consolation
that it has not been the wettest ever January there.
The region has received 222.6mm so far this month – making it
the fifth-wettest and still some way short of the 244.3mm record
set in 1948.
Some parts of the region have been underwater since around
Christmas, and locals have described living in “third world”
conditions in villages that have become “islands”.
Downing Street said the Environment Secretary Owen Paterson will
chair another meeting of the Government’s emergency committee Cobra
this afternoon, after it decided last night to send in the military
to assist those affected.
Further significant rainfall is forecast for tomorrow and going
into the weekend, while a spokesman for the Met Office said the
entire country had seen a large amount of rain in January.
“For the UK as a whole, 164.6 mm of rain has fallen so far this
month, 35 per cent above the long-term average, with all nations
having above average rainfall,” he said.
“We have seen quite a contrast from south to north across the
UK, with northern Scotland having received 85 per cent of its
long-term average rainfall so far this month, a sharp contrast to
the 200 per cent over southern England.”
But the spokesman said the wet weather had been accompanied by
milder temperatures.
The mean temperature across the UK up to January 28 was 4.9C,
1.2C above average.
“Looking at the winter season so far, the whole of the UK is on
target for a wetter than average winter,” he added.
“The main reason for the mild and wet weather so far is that we
have seen a predominance of west and south-west winds, bringing in
mild air from the Atlantic - as well as the unsettled and at times
stormy conditions.”
South east and central southern England is already seeing its
6th wettest winter since 1910 and the wettest weather since 1995,
when 369.7mm of rainfall was recorded.
The wettest winter on record was in 1915 with 437.1mm of
rainfall.
Watch an aerial view of the Somerset Levels In pictures: Severe weather batters UKShow all 60 1 /60In pictures: Severe weather batters UK In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK The trunk of a storm damaged tree is seen laying across residential property following high winds in Wraysbury
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A resident looks at a storm damaged tree as it rests on the roof of a residential property following high winds in Wraysbury
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A police officer looks on as a British solider helps a tree surgeon remove a fallen tree in Egham, west of London after high winds brought by a winter storm battered southern England
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK British soliders help a tree surgeon remove a fallen tree in Egham, west of London
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Engineers continue to install high capacity Dutch supplied pumps besides the river near Bridgwater in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Newhaven lighthouse is battered by waves as high winds from the lastest winter storm continue in Newhaven on the south coast of England
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Waves crash into a groyne near the West Pier in Brighton
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A police officer walks past the wreck of a car after masonry from a building collapsed onto the car in high winds killing a woman in central London
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A volunteer stands by with a spade as he joins others in filling sandbags to be distributed to combat flooding in Egham, west of London
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Flooded properties are seen in the now largely evacuated and flooded village of Moorland on the Somerset Levels
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A car drives through flood water on the Somerset Levels near Langport in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Flood water collects in an allotment site near Langport in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Flooded fields surround the River Tone that has burst its banks viewed from Windmill Hill, in Stoke-St-Gregory near Langport in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Trees are reflected in flood waters on the Somerset Levels near Langport in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Farmer Roger Forgan uses a boat to cross farm land in front of his flooded farm which has been cut off by flood waters at Muchelney near Langport in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A man walks beside the River Tone seen from Windmill Hill, Somerset, as flooding persists on the levels
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Flooded fields around the River Tone seen from Windmill Hill, Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK An electricity survey helicopter flies over flooded farmland surrounding Burrowbridge in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Flooded farmland surrounding Burrowbridge in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Anne Bourmer wades through flood water outside her home in Hooe, East Sussex, as more heavy rain sweeps across the country
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Flood water is pumped into the River Parrott by the Environment Agency in Moorland in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A flood sign is seen in flood waters surrounding farm buildings in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Debris washed up by flood water is seen at James Winslade's farm in Moorland in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Farmer James Winslade stands in front of bales of animal feed as he surveys some of his 790 acres of flooded land at his farm in Moorland in Somerset, England
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Flood water surrounds a house in the village of Thorney in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A car is seen submerged on the side of a flooded road leading into the cut-off village of Muchelney in Somerset. A local council declared a major incident on the flood-hit Somerset Levels where some villages like Muchelney have been cut off for weeks by flooding that has submerged roads and thousands of acres of farmland in the area of southwestern England
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A policeman on a boat looks at a car submerged on the side of a flooded road leading into the cut-off village of Muchelney in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK The village of Muchelney is seen beyond flood water in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK An anti-fracking campaigner braves the severe weather to take part in a protest march near to the IGas Barton Moss fracking exploration rig in Salford
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Snow covered sheep huddle together on moorland as heavy snow falls on the North Yorkshire Moors near Castleton
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A motorist attempts to push his car up a snow covered road as heavy snow falls on the North Yorkshire Moors near Castleton
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A tractor snow plough tries to keep the road open as heavy snow falls on the North Yorkshire Moors near Castleton
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Motorcycle riders take shelter in a roadside hut as heavy snow falls on the North Yorkshire Moors near Castleton
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A couple take their dog for a walk over snow covered fields as heavy snow falls on the North Yorkshire Moors near Castleton
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Waves crash onto the promenade between Fleetwood and Blackpool as high tides and huge waves hit the West Coast of the UK
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Waves crash onto the promenade between Fleetwood and Blackpool, as high tides and huge waves hit the North West England
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Debris from the previous day's storm weather litters the promenade road in Aberystwyth, West Wales
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK The damage in Aberystwyth where violent storms and gale force winds have reduced large parts of the historic seafront to rubble and threaten to destroy a popular landmark, the Victorian public shelter
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK The damage in Aberystwyth where violent storms and gale force winds have reduced large parts of the historic seafront to rubble and threaten to destroy a popular landmark, the Victorian public shelter
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A man tries start a Mercedes car left stricken in flood water on the road leading to the village of Muchelney which has been cut off by flooding, near Langport in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Flood water is seen inside the home of Muchelney resident and farmer Mike Curtis in the village of Muchelney which has been cut off by flooding, near Langport in Somerset
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Water covers the coastal roads at Clevelys near Blackpool as large waves crash over the sea defences as high tides and huge waves hit the west coast of the UK
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Cars drive through flood water from the river Arun in Pulborough, England
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Flood water from the River Wey fills a field in Guildford, England
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A workman clears drains, after high tide caused flooding on the coast road in Carnlough, Co Antrim
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK The Tewkesbury Abbey is seen surrounded by flood water in Tewkesbury
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A swan swims on flood water surrounding Tewkesbury Abbey in the small town of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A flooded playground is seen by the Tewkesbury Abbey in the small town of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire. Emergency services in weather-battered Britain are attempting to cope with a trail of damage caused by severe winter storms and flooding - the worst such sustained period of stormy weather for two decades
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A flooded house is seen in the small town of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire as large areas of the country continue to experience heavy rainfall, strong winds and high tides
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A flooded road is seen in the small town of Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK High tide waves break along the seafront at Porthcawl in Mid Glamorgon, Wales. After a period of recent storms and heavy rain, forecasters are warning that there is still more bad weather to come over the next few days
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Areas next to the River Thames in Henley-on-Thames, Berkshire
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Environment Agency workers lay sandbags onto river defence barriers next to the River Thames on Osney Island in Oxford
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Sandbags near river defence barriers next to the River Thames on Osney Island in Oxford
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Police tape near Osney Lock in Oxford, where a 47-year-old man died when his mobility scooter fell into a river after he apparently drove it along a flooded pathway
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK People watch the waves at Cleveleys, Lancashire as stormy weather continues across parts of the country
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Areas next to the River Thames in Shinfield, Berkshire, are flooded after the river burst its banks
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Flooded areas next to the River Thames in Henley-on-Thames, Berkshire
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK Severe floods in Henley-on-Thames, Berkshire
In pictures: Severe weather batters UK UK A wave breaks along the seafront at Porthcawl in Mid Glamorgon, Wales
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