England has experienced its wettest week for two years, driven by heavy rain from two named storms, Austen and Boelo. An average of 55mm of rain fell across England in the seven days to October 27, with as much as 76mm in the North West and 87mm in the South West.
River levels and drought status
River levels have increased in many areas, with the Dart at Austins Bridge near Buckfastleigh in Devon classed as “exceptionally high”. Much of the country remains officially in drought, however, with a severe drought in place across parts of the South West and Sussex.
The impact of Austen and Boelo led to England seeing its wettest week since October 2024, the Environment Agency said on Thursday.
Storm impacts and warnings
Austen triggered an amber warning from the Met Office for strong winds and rain across Cornwall and parts of Devon on Friday October 23, along with a yellow warning for much of central and southern England. Gusts reached nearly 80mph on the Isle of Wight, flights were cancelled and thousands of homes were left without power.
Boelo arrived the following day, Saturday October 24, this time prompting an amber warning for wind over Scotland, with a yellow warning covering northern England. There was further travel disruption and many more homes lost power, with some still cut off on Wednesday.
Rainfall totals and monitoring
The downpours mean England has now received 11% more rainfall than the long-term average for October, according to the Environment Agency. River levels have increased at all but two of the sites the agency monitors.
