Why has the UK had so much rain recently?

Brits have endured a sodden start to the year, with relentless downpours making January one of the wettest on record.

The UK recorded 17% more rainfall than usual last month, according to the Met Office, and there is little sign of the deluge letting up.

And after a triple whammy of storms already in 2026, the UK is braced for more flooding, with 101 flood warnings and 160 alerts issued on Tuesday morning.

To make matters worse, the rain is likely to persist for another seven to ten days, according to the Met Office.

It all begs the question – what is behind this wave of miserable weather?

What is to blame?

The UK is effectively stuck in the middle of a meteorological traffic jam.

There’s currently a vast area of high pressure sitting across Scandinavia acting as a weather road block.

Usually, weather systems move eastwards over the UK. But this January, low pressure wet and cloudy conditions have come to a standstill above Britain.

This explains why we’ve seen as many as 40 days of consecutive rain in some areas, including North Wyke in Devon and Cardinham in Cornwall.

The constant showers have often fallen on already-sodden ground, contributing to devastating floods in Somerset and Devon.

England alone has seen 59 per cent of its expected rainfall for the whole of February in the first nine days.

Further south, Worcestershire and the Isle of Wight have had their usual helping of February showers in one week.

Why do we get these blocked weather patterns?

Areas of unmoving weather are mainly due to shifts in the jet stream – the fast winds in the upper reaches of the atmosphere.

Normally, the jet stream would flow from west to east over the Atlantic, with small wiggles in its path creating weather systems.

But sometimes, these wiggles grow bigger than usual, making the jet stream’s route meander like a river.

This slaloming pattern can cause high pressure to build up, obstructing the jet stream’s path.

It leaves people on the ground putting up with the same old downpours for weeks on end.

When will it stop raining?

This patch of stubborn weather could begin to break up by the end of this week.

Low pressure is expected to push eastward on Saturday, meaning a brief spell of sunshine in parts of southern England.

However, the shift is also expected to usher in cold temperatures, wintry showers, and potentially even snow in some areas.

Areas of Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and the North East could see white flurries.

While southern England should dodge any snowfall, Cumbria, Northumberland, Lancashire, North Yorkshire and much of Scotland, could get hit.

Next week, Brits should prepare for even more unsettled weather with further spells of rain expected, amid warnings of localised flooding.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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