Two storms give England its wettest week in two years, yet parts of the south are STILL in drought
Residential streets submerged during Storm Boelo on 26 October, as the two storms together pushed England to 11% above its long-term average rainfall for the month despite severe drought persisting across parts of the…England's rainfall pattern, with the South West recording the heaviest downpour at 87mm across the seven days to 27 October, even as severe drought persists across Cornwall, Devon, Dorset…
Storms Austen and Boelo deposited an average of 55mm of rain across England in the seven days to October 27, lifting England 11% above its long-term October average and making it the wettest week since Storm Ashley in October 2024. The Dart at Austins Bridge in Devon reached 'exceptionally high' levels, with river levels climbing at all but two of the Environment Agency's monitored sites.
Despite the downpours, a severe drought remains in place across six counties: Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex.
Reservoir storage in Devon and Cornwall had dropped to just 31% overall before the storms arrived, with millions still subject to a hosepipe ban.
Storm Austen produced gusts of nearly 80mph on the Isle of Wight; Boelo left some homes without power as late as Wednesday.
