Wet end to October pushes rainfall levels above average as temperatures set to fall throughout November

Provisional figures from the Met Office confirm that October was wetter than usual across the UK, with temperatures set to fall through November.

The country as a whole saw 138.9mm of rain during the month, exceeding the 1991-2020 average by 13 per cent.

Northern Scotland was the wettest region, with precipitation 31 per cent higher than typical October levels.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland followed at 19 per cent above average, while Scotland overall was 16 per cent wetter than usual.

England recorded 12 per cent more rainfall than its October average, and Wales came in three per cent above.

Much of the excess rain fell in the month’s final days as Storms Austen and Boelo struck in rapid succession.

Met Office scientist Dr Emily Carlisle said: “Storm Boelo was especially notable, with October 24 provisionally the joint-sixth wettest day on record for the UK and the sixth wettest for Scotland.”

The two storms left a trail of disruption across the country.

Storm Austen hit on October 23, triggering an amber warning for powerful winds and heavy rain over Cornwall and parts of Devon, with a yellow alert covering much of central and southern England.

Storm Boelo followed just a day later, bringing an amber wind warning for Scotland and a yellow warning across northern England.

Together, the two systems gave England its wettest week in two years, the Environment Agency said.

Yet despite the deluge, drought conditions persist in several regions following the UK’s hottest summer since records began in 1884.

Severe drought remains in force across parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex, while much of Wales is also still classified as being in drought.

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Looking further ahead, the Met Office has raised the prospect of a sharp cold snap, warning that disturbance to the polar vortex, a band of fast-moving winds high above the North Pole, could send freezing conditions sweeping across Britain.

Forecasters say indications of this disruption have appeared exceptionally early this year, potentially driven by the current “super” El Niño, which has already shattered sea surface temperature records.

A disturbed polar vortex can trigger sudden stratospheric warming, where temperatures high in the atmosphere surge by up to 50 degrees within days.

Weeks later, this can generate high-pressure blocks that bring prolonged spells of bitterly cold, dry weather to Europe.

Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: “El Niño is basically enhancing the waves that go on in the troposphere, the wriggly jet stream.”

The effects of such an event typically take between two and six weeks to materialise, and a freeze is not guaranteed.

In the near term, however, high pressure is set to dominate, bringing largely settled and dry conditions across the country.

Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: “High pressure will dominate, which is still unfortunately bad news for southern regions in particular, which are experiencing the severe drought conditions that we’ve seen for several months now.”

Chilly mornings are expected, with daytime temperatures hovering around the seasonal norm for early November.

Scattered showers may affect parts of Kent and the far south-east, but most areas should stay dry.