Storms Austen and Boelo bring England its wettest week in two years, drought persists

Two storms, one very wet week

Storms Austen and Boelo struck within a day of each other and left England with its wettest week since October 2024, according to the Environment Agency. Across England an average of 55mm of rain fell in the seven days to 27 October, while the North West recorded as much as 76mm and the South West as much as 87mm. Rivers rose sharply, and the agency reported higher levels at every monitored site except two. The Dart at Austins Bridge near Buckfastleigh in Devon was classed as exceptionally high.

England average55

North West peak76

South West peak87

England average

55 mm

North West peak

76 mm

South West peak

87 mm

Data from the article text

Travel disruption and power cuts

The Met Office issued an amber warning for Cornwall and parts of Devon on Friday, 23 October, covering wind and rain, while a yellow warning spread over much of central and southern England. Gusts near 80mph were recorded on the Isle of Wight, flights were cancelled and thousands of homes lost electricity. Boelo arrived on Saturday, 24 October, bringing an amber wind warning for Scotland and a yellow warning for northern England. Further transport problems followed, and more households lost power, with some still without supply on Wednesday, 28 October.

Drought remains across much of the country

Much of England and Wales is still officially in drought, even after the rain at the end of October. Severe drought applies in pockets of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Sussex, the highest category the Environment Agency can declare. The south-west and south-east have experienced their driest April to September in more than 100 years. Even so, England's October rainfall now sits 11% above the long-term average for the month, according to the Environment Agency.

Why winter rain matters

Winter is when the UK normally refills its water stores, because shorter, colder days mean less evaporation and plants draw up less water. Rain soaks through the soil to top up groundwater held in chalk and sandstone, and a large share of drinking water in the south and east of England comes from it. Groundwater recharges over months and years, so a dry winter can do more lasting damage than a summer heatwave. Wimbleball, the Exmoor reservoir that serves around 400,000 people, filled in March after a wet winter, but by October its level had fallen to about 13%. Droughts that run into winter are uncommon in the UK, since autumn rain usually restores stores by Christmas. A few stormy days cannot by themselves end a drought, because its grip shifts over months rather than days, and whether it lingers into next summer will depend on the rainfall of the months ahead.