This summer has been the wettest since records began in 1914, Met Office figures suggest.
Provisional figures have shown a UK average of 358.5mm of rainfall, beating the previous record of 358.4mm in 1956. However, when more data is gathered it could end up being the second wettest.
Head of forecasting at the Met Office Keith Groves said: “These figures confirm what most people have already been thinking – this summer has been very wet and very disappointing for most.”
The rain has been caused by the position of the North Atlantic jet stream, a ribbon of very strong winds that brings weather systems across the UK. For much of the summer it was further south and stronger than previous years, bringing depressions across many parts of the country.