'Days of sunshine' for Stoke-on-Trent as UK drenched in record-breaking rainfall

-Credit: (Image: Stoke Sentinel)
-Credit: (Image: Stoke Sentinel)


Meteorologists reckon North Staffordshire is finally set to enjoy a run of sunny dry weather - after revealing parts of the UK endured a record-breaking wet September. It will come as no surprise to families in this part of the country that the last month was bleak with flooding and power cuts affecting scores of households as the clouds stayed grey.

But the Met Office reckons after the rain finally went off yesterday (October 1) residents can expect a run of dry weather with sunny spells and temperatures in the mid-teens. That comes after experts have revealed how 10 counties - not including Staffordshire - experienced their wettest-ever September.

However a map which analysed September's rainfall against the average for that month between 1991 and 2020 saw North Staffordshire grouped in an area that was hit by between 175 per cent to 250 per cent more rain than normal for the month. Across the month and the UK endured 114.1mm of rain - 25 per cent more than the average.

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Although that was behind the 178.5mm in 1950 it was still a month that brought flooding and disruption to scores of households all over the nation. Meanwhile Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Gloucestershire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Rutland, Warwickshire, and Wiltshire all experienced their wettest September on record.

Emily Carlisle, a Met Office scientist, said: "September saw unsettled weather across the UK. The jet stream was south shifted for most of the month, making it very wet for some in the south, but rather dry for some in the north.

Rainfall across the UK in September
Rainfall across the UK in September

“The month began with heavy showers and thunderstorms to the south of the UK, whilst the north of the country saw much drier and warmer conditions.

“Although mid-month saw a return to more settled weather and an increase in temperatures, low pressure was never too far away and the end of the month concluded with frontal systems bringing heavy rain and thunderstorms, with an Amber National Severe Weather Warning being issued.”

Forecasters say a period of high pressure is behind the drier weather we'll now experience. Paul Gundersen, the Met Office's chief meteorologist, said: "High pressure, which is currently centred to the north of the UK, will continue to exert its influence in the coming days. This brings a more settled period of weather, with sunny spells across Scotland and Northern Ireland extending southwards across England and Wales on Thursday.

“This ridge of high pressure will remain in the vicinity of the UK in the latter half of the working week, resulting in dry and settled weather for many, though with some cool nights and the chance of some early morning mist and fog for some.”

However it could then be a bleak weekend for some parts of the country. Tony Wisson, the Met Office's deputy chief meteorologist, said: "After a drier interlude, the weather will gradually get wetter and windier through the weekend, as high pressure drifts away to the east and is slowly replaced with low pressure, bringing increasing amounts of wind and rain.

“This transition will initially affect western parts of UK, starting in northwestern areas on Friday but then more widely in western areas later on Saturday. These fronts will shift eastwards through the weekend, resulting in rain reaching most areas of the UK by Sunday. The highest rainfall totals through the weekend are most likely in the west and southwest, and generally lower further east.”

Latest Met Office forecast for Stoke-on-Trent

After some truly bleak weather things are going to get better. Today will bring a high of 15C and some sunshine in the late afternoon.

It's a similar story through to Tuesday when there's a chance of some light rain. However the BBC slightly disagree and believe there'll be light showers moving in on Sunday - with a chance of thunder on the Tuesday.

The Beeb then reckons most days from then on will experience some light rain with temperatures only getting up to 10C as we head into the following week and towards the middle of October.

Met Office long-range forecast

October 6 - October 15: "A broad low pressure system west of the UK will drift eastwards across the UK through Sunday and through the first part of next week. This will bring widely unsettled conditions, with spells of rain or showers, heavy and persistent at times, and strong southwesterly winds.

"England and Wales will probably see bulk of this rain, especially across higher ground. Meanwhile, across Scotland and Northern Ireland, northeasterly winds could become rather strong, and although rain and showers are still likely, it will also turn colder here. Into the second half of next week and the start of the following week, drier weather is signalled across the north, while unsettled weather will likely continue in the south, but certainly turning cooler quite widely across the UK in general."

October 16 - October 30: "The outlook period continues to hold low confidence. The most likely scenario is for a continuation of recent weather patterns. This means that areas of low pressure are likely to bring wet and perhaps windy conditions across central and southern UK, with the best of any longer drier spells likely further across the north or northwest.

"That said, occasional drier spells are possible more widely as higher pressure extends across the south for a time, which would bring an increased chance of overnight fog and frost. Temperatures will tend to be close to average overall in the south, but probably below average in the northwest."

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