weather

Floods devastated parts of Wales over the weekend and more are expected, as heavy rain continues throughout Britain. After one of the wettest Mays on record, the bad weather has continued into June, with torrential rain causing a number of rivers to burst their banks on Friday and Saturday.

Weekend of Floods in Wales

Areas around Aberystwyth near the west coast of Wales received twice as much rain fall in 24 hours than normally falls in the whole month of June. This led to floods 5 foot deep in the local town of Ceredigion and the leader of the County Council, Ellen ap Gwynn, has revealed that an appeal will be launched to help those affected:

"I've personally witnessed the devastation left by this weekend's flooding. It's heartbreaking to see so many homes damaged by the flooding and to realise that many have lost prized personal possessions that cannot be replaced. However, I hope that by launching an appeal we can assist those affected to get back on their feet as soon as possible."

Meanwhile in nearby Pemmal 600 people were evacuated from their homes after a dam was on the verge of bursting. After a drain hole that normally releases pressure became blocked, emergency services had to work quickly to build a channel for the water to safely flow away.

The British are infamous for the amount of time we spend talking about the weather, but if the last month hasn't given us a valid reason to then we don't know what would. It was only a matter of weeks ago that we were bringing you news that parts of Britain were officially in drought, but since then the country has been hit by severe storms and flooding. Whilst all the time remaining ‘in drought'.

The country was officially thrown in to drought on the 5th April, after the driest 18 months since records began. With March temperatures soaring over 20^oc, hosepipes were banned as experts predicted the worst drought in the UK for 30 years. However, ever since the drought was announced, Britain has been hit with a pretty much constant downpour of rain.

The Wettest April on Record

As April ended yesterday, vast swathes of the country have been left battered by the weather. Overall, the UK experienced the wettest April since records began in 1910, with some areas receiving a month's worth of rain in a particularly bad 72 hours. There are still 36 flood warnings in place, as well as 150 less serious flood alerts, and the wet weather is expected to continue well into May.

Over the last week, Britain has been enjoying some unseasonably warm and dry weather. Whilst this may be perfect for sitting out in the sun and enjoying the lighter evenings, there is also a downside. After the driest 18 months since records began, most of the east and south-east of England is now officially in drought.

For several days now, record temperatures have been hitting Britain. Up and down the UK people have been basking in temperatures over 20oC (68F), with the Scottish record for a March temperature being broken on Sunday and then again yesterday. Whilst we are already enjoying hotter weather than Barcelona and Nice, forecasters are now saying that the best of the weather is yet to come.

All this has led to what is shaping up to be the worst drought to hit the UK for 30 years. With the south and east of England already suffering, it is expected to spread throughout the country, to as far north as Yorkshire and as far west as Wiltshire.