Wettest summer in 100 years causes trouble for UK commuters

It has been confirmed by weather experts that the summer of 2012 has been the wettest in a century.

Floods on Wednesday forced people to leave their homes in Cumbria as the river Ehen overflowed its banks, Egremont and Calder Valley receiving the brunt of the rainfall with 15mm of rain in 15 minutes and a grand total of 54mm by the morning.

Meanwhile, torrential rain elsewhere has caused trains to derail. A train of 100 commuters heading to the nuclear plant at Sellafield was derailed at 6.45 am due to a landslide that covered the tracks. Although no one was hurt, an investigation has been launched by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.

Over 33cm (13in) of rain fell on England and Wales between 1^st June and 23^rd August, close to the record of 36.8cm (14½in) of rain in the summer of 1768.

On Sunday 26^th August the Met Office issued a severe weather warning for the West of England as another 38mm (1½in) of rain was predicted to fall on the region. Such damp weather seriously impeded transportation but normal service resumed in the following days.

The Met Office reports that the summer of 2012 was not only the rainiest but also a cold one, with a mean temperature of 14°C (57°F) – almost half a degree below the average for this time of year.

Philippe Labrecque