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Newly released official figures from the Met Office confirm that January brought exceptionally wet conditions to several regions across the UK. Notably, Northern Ireland, the south-west and southern parts of England, as well as eastern Scotland, recorded some of their highest January rainfall totals in many decades. Northern Ireland experienced its wettest January in nearly a century and a half, with rainfall surpassing the average by 70%. Similarly, Culdrose in Cornwall received more than double its typical precipitation, while Aboyne in Aberdeenshire saw rainfall amounts approaching four times its normal January average of 68.9mm.
Despite the heavy rainfall, the month featured an average level of sunshine but remained unusually cool overall. This cooler than normal temperature is increasingly uncommon amid the ongoing global warming trends. In stark contrast to the wet southern and eastern regions, north-west England and western Scotland saw below-average rainfall during January. For instance, Altnaharra in the Highlands recorded only 66mm of rain, less than half its usual January figure, while the Cairngorm Mountains sheltered Aviemore from prevailing south-easterly winds, resulting in similarly reduced rainfall there.
Meteorologists attribute the persistent wet weather to a high-pressure system parked over Scandinavia, effectively blocking Atlantic low-pressure systems from moving on. This pressure pattern has led to consistent south-westerly winds across southern England and south-easterly winds in eastern Scotland, bringing heavy rain to those exposed areas and contributing to their record-breaking precipitation totals. The stable high-pressure zone forced these rain-bearing systems to linger longer than usual, exacerbating flooding risks.
Looking ahead, the Met Office has issued a yellow rain warning for south-west England, expecting between 10-20mm of rain widely across the region and up to 50mm over Dartmoor. Given that the ground remains saturated and more than sixty flood warnings are currently active, additional flooding is anticipated. Snow warnings are also in place for north-east Scotland, with forecasts predicting 10-20cm above 200 meters and some accumulation at lower elevations, potentially causing localized disruption. The blocking high-pressure system over Scandinavia is expected to persist for another two weeks, suggesting that these weather patterns will remain largely unaltered until mid-February, prolonging the flood risk and periods of hill snow. Interestingly, parts of southern England are still under a hosepipe ban despite the deluge, restricting watering activities even though rainfall has been more than sufficient
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