According to the Met Office, Southern England had its wettest September since 1918. Ten counties in England recorded their wettest September on record with some areas receiving three to four times their average rainfall for the month. Heavy rainfall in some parts of Southern England and Wales led to flooding and disruptions. However, Scotland and Northern Ireland had a drier and sunnier month than average.
Central and Southern England were the regions worst affected by the heavy rainfall, with some counties receiving three times the expected September rainfall. Bedfordshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Gloucestershire had not previously recorded such high levels of September rainfall since records began in 187 years. Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire had their wettest calendar month ever recorded in a series of measurements going back to 1836.
Woburn in Bedfordshire experienced 248mm (9.8in) of rain compared to a September average of just 55mm (2.2in); this was more than four times the average. This was the most rainfall the town had ever received, exceeding the previous record of 182mm (7.2in) recorded in November 1940. Saturated ground and frequent downpours led to flooding across central and southern England over recent weeks. The Nene in Cambridgeshire and the Great Ouse in Bedfordshire were some of the worst-hit river catchments, with frequent Environment Agency flood warnings issued in the past month.
Usually, the wettest weather this time of year is focused towards Northern and Northwest United Kingdom. However, this September, the fast-moving ribbon of air in the upper atmosphere, the jet stream, has frequently delivered weather systems to England and Wales, leaving Scotland and Northern Ireland relatively drier.
The mean temperature across the UK as a whole was 12.7 C, which is below the long-term average by 0.3 C. Additionally, due to cloudy skies and brisk winds in Southern England, there were no overnight frosts. Though the overall UK sunshine amounts were just below average, Scotland and Northern Ireland had 18% and 17% more sunshine, respectively.
Long-range computer models are indicating that unsettled weather will continue with slightly windier and changeable conditions lasting until mid-October. Towards the end of the month, Scotland and Northern Ireland may experience a more settled spell of weather while England and Wales are more likely to stay slightly wetter and windier. The Met Office forecasts that autumn 2021 will be slightly wetter, windier, and warmer than average, though some periods of calmer and drier weather are also expected
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