UK Weather: Record Rainfall and Flooding Concerns
The UK has been experiencing unusually heavy rainfall this year, with some areas recording rain every single day of January. Katesbridge in County Down and Aboyne in Aberdeenshire saw nearly four times their January average rainfall, and the trend continues into February. Aboyne has already received over double the average February rainfall, and the winter is far from over.
Despite the wet conditions, this winter is unlikely to surpass the record-breaking rainfall of the 2013-14 winter, which saw 691mm of rain in the southwest England and South Wales region, causing severe flooding. The combined rainfall for December 2025 and January 2026 is 415mm, but the record remains out of reach.
One similarity between this winter and the 2013-14 winter is the damage to the main railway line at Dawlish, which connects southwest England to the rest of the rail network. In February 2014, the track was left hanging precariously high in the air after storms washed away the sea wall. This winter has also seen a section of the sea wall collapse, causing disruption.
The unusually wet weather can be attributed to a blocking area of high pressure in Scandinavia, which has prevented low-pressure areas from moving beyond the UK. This has led to slow-moving, very wet weather with south-west winds in the south and south-easterly winds in the north. The wind pattern is responsible for the rain's distribution.
It's important to note that not all areas have experienced heavy rainfall. Northwest England and west Scotland had a drier January than normal, and parts of the Highlands have only recorded 1mm of rain so far this month. The Scandinavian blocking area of high pressure is expected to move this week, allowing the weather to turn colder with hill snow in the north later in the week.
Next week, the weather patterns will become more typical for the season as the Atlantic jet stream returns to the northwest of Scotland, rather than its unusual position near Morocco. While there will still be rain, the wettest weather will return to west Scotland, and the rain won't be as extreme in east Scotland. In southwest England, there won't be rain every day, and drier, sunnier days will break up the weather systems.
As February progresses, there are hints of an area of high pressure approaching the UK, bringing more settled weather conditions. While it's still a long way off, it's a welcome change after the wet and dull weather of recent weeks.
