Cornwall in south-west England and County Down in Northern Ireland experienced their wettest January on record, according to provisional Met Office data. The month was marked by 'exceptional' rainfall, driven by a persistent Atlantic weather pattern that brought a series of low-pressure systems and named storms.
Northern Ireland recorded 195.6mm of rain, 70% above the long-term average, making it the second wettest January since records began in 1836 and the wettest since 1877. Southern England saw 136.8mm, 74% above average, ranking as the sixth wettest on record. England as a whole had 124.2mm, 50% above average, the 15th wettest.
Three named storms—Goretti, Ingrid, and Chandra—brought downpours, flooding, and travel disruption. On January 26, Storm Chandra caused several sites to record their highest daily rainfall for January, including Katesbridge in County Down with 100.8mm, and Cardinham in Cornwall, Hurn in Dorset, and Dunkeswell Aerodrome and Plymouth Mountbatten in Devon.
Met Office science manager Dr Amy Doherty said: 'January has been exceptionally wet because we’ve seen a very persistent Atlantic weather pattern. A strong jet stream has repeatedly steered low-pressure systems towards the UK, bringing frequent spells of rain and wind.' She added that saturated ground increased the impact of even moderate rainfall.
Several counties experienced their second wettest January on record: County Londonderry in Northern Ireland; Devon and Dorset in south-west England; Hampshire and Surrey in south-east England; and Angus and Kincardineshire in Scotland. No temperature records were broken, with the UK mean temperature at 3.4°C, slightly below average. Sunshine levels were average at 47.7 hours.
