Still the rain won’t stop! Britain faces more than 80 flood warnings with relentless downpours continuing to drench nation
Britain faces more than 80 flood warnings as incessant rain continues to lash the country and inundate it.
The Environment Agency (EA) has issued 91 flood warnings spread mostly across south and south-west England and the East and West Midlands.
On Saturday morning the EA also issued 261 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible covering large parts of England.
Meanwhile, Natural Resources Wales has 11 flood warnings in place.
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service warned: ‘Local levels on the River Dene have risen to a condition where flooding is inevitable due to prolonged heavy rainfall today.’
On Thursday the Met Office announced that it will rain every day of 2026 in south-west England and south Wales.
Both received much wetter than average in January, with 50 percent more precipitation than normal, forecasters said.
Forecasters said Saturday will see heavy showers along the south-west coast and South Wales will also see heavy showers.
On Saturday morning the EA also issued 261 flood alerts; This means flooding is likely across much of England as the Met Office weather map shows widespread rainfall
Showers and some sunshine will arrive on Sunday, but wetter and windier conditions will arrive from the west early next week
Showers and some sunshine will arrive on Sunday, but wetter and windier conditions will arrive from the west early next week.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: ‘Friday was a very wet day across large parts of the country; ‘Cold wind continues to feed cloud and moisture over north-east England and eastern Scotland.’
The incessant rain caused social media users to express their anger about the weather.
‘I’m sorry, but what’s the weather like in England at the moment? “This is absolutely depressing,” one user wrote on TikTok.
Another added: ‘It rains every day. ‘Let’s rest, we understand.’
And someone joked: ‘The umbrella is my most prized possession at this point.’
The Met Office revealed that the particularly wet weather was caused by a ‘blocked pattern’ in the jet stream.
‘For many of us, the last few weeks have been unremittingly wet,’ the report explained.
Visitors stand in the rain on the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol. City hit by longest consecutive day of rain since records began
Don’t leave home without it! A pedestrian in Bristol takes his umbrella while taking a walk in the city
A road near Harbridge in Hampshire is flooded amid more than 80 flood warnings
Brits are known for talking about the weather, and social media is abuzz with chatter as the UK experiences its 37th consecutive day of rain
Repeated bands of rain falling from the ‘Atlantic’ are causing the ground to become increasingly saturated, disrupting travel and creating a general perception that winter is coming again and again.
“Although amounts were negligible on some days and there were dry days in some areas, the UK had a wet start to the year, particularly in Northern Ireland and southern England,” Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said.
It rained for 25 consecutive days in Reading; this was the longest continuous rain ever recorded in the town.
The Met Office announced that the jet stream was responsible for the rainy weather.
This fast-moving river of air flows several kilometers above the Earth’s surface and is located further south than we would expect for this time of year.
‘As the jet stream shifts southwards across the Atlantic, it tends to direct low pressure systems directly towards the UK, increasing the frequency and intensity of rain-bearing weather fronts,’ the Met Office said.
Cold dips in North America have helped strengthen the jet stream, which is pushing low-pressure areas toward northwestern Europe.
But at the same time, high pressure developed over parts of northern Europe, leading to what the Met Office described as a “blocked pattern”.
Fog and rain came together in the capital this week as harsh weather conditions continued
Rain, rain, go: A children’s playground is flooded in Hampshire due to ongoing rainfall
This stopped the jet stream shifting and limited the UK’s chances of drier weather.
The Met Office added: ‘This high blocking also prevented weather fronts from passing through and clearing the UK.
‘Instead they linger over the UK, leading to persistent slow-moving rain bands.’
The Met Office confirmed last month was also one of the wettest Januarys on record in the UK; It rained 17 percent more than normal.
Northern Ireland was particularly wet; The data confirmed that the country experienced its wettest January in 149 years and the second wettest January on record.
Met Office chief scientific officer Dr. “January was an extraordinarily wet month because we had very persistent weather in the Atlantic,” Amy Doherty said.
‘A strong jet stream has repeatedly driven low pressure systems towards the UK, causing frequent rain and wind.
‘With little opportunity for drier conditions in between, the ground became saturated, so even moderate rainfall had a greater impact.
‘This succession of Atlantic systems is the main reason why this month’s rainfall totals are well above average for many regions.’
