Parts of the UK could record some of the wettest winters on record, following a season marked by storms and snowfall.
Rainfall in the UK has been nine per cent above the average for the entire season, which has been described by the forecaster as “wet, but nowhere near record-breaking territory”.
But several counties are currently ranking among their top five wettest winters since records began in 1836, according to provisional Met Office figures.
Dorset and Cornwall have both experienced their second wettest winter already, the Isle of Wight and County Down their third, and Angus, Kincardineshire, Hampshire and Aberdeen their fourth.
Warwickshire is currently at its fifth wettest on record, according to the provisional ranking. With a few days of meteorological winter still to go, they could even move up the rankings because more rain is forecast.
Rainfall in England has been 35 per cent above the long-term average for the whole winter, with 326.6mm recorded up to 25 February.
Meanwhile, Scotland saw a particularly dry winter, with rainfall 16 per cent below the winter average. Eastern areas of Scotland experienced 19 per cent above their seasonal average rainfall, while northern areas saw 34 per cent below.
Met Office senior scientist Mike Kendon said: “With only days left of meteorological winter, many people may be surprised that no national rainfall records are expected, despite what has felt like an exceptionally wet season. A near-continuous run of Atlantic systems over the past three months has brought persistent rain, damaging storms and few dry spells.
“December was wetter than average, January saw near-record rainfall in parts of Northern Ireland and southern England, and by early February, some areas had already exceeded their average monthly totals.
“Although the past week has been more settled, it looks like this winter will close a very wet one for parts of southern England, remembered for its relentless rain as much as its intensity.”
Rainfall was marked by a north-south divide as southern England is currently experiencing its seventh wettest winter since records began in 1836, with 336.1mm of rain recorded so far. The region’s wettest weather was also in 2014, recording 413.3mm of rainfall.
The forecaster’s observations follow a winter marked by successive storms, including Storm Bram in December, as well as storms Goretti, Ingrid and Chandra in January. Severe winds, heavy rainfall and widespread disruption battered parts of the UK.
Storm Goretti, named by the French Meteorological Service, was named a “multi-hazard event” that brought wind, ice, snow and rain to parts of the UK. While Scotland appears to have had a particularly dry season, schools were closed in vast parts of the country at the start of the year due to heavy snowfall.
The Met Office said on 5 February that rain had been recorded every day of the year so far, tracking more than a month’s worth of rainfall.
In contrast, the UK experienced its warmest day of the year so far on Wednesday with temperatures hitting 18.7C in Kew Gardens in London.
This article was amended on the day of publication. An earlier version incorrectly reported that England had suffered the wettest winter in a decade. This was not the case, however some regions suffered winters that were among the wettest on record.
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