Cornish village endures over 50 consecutive days of rain
- Published
For the small Cornish village of Cardinham the rain so far this year really has been relentless.
According to the Met Office, it has rained there every day for a continuous streak of 55 days.
The last dry day residents experienced was 30 December 2025. They have already received more than their normal rainfall for February.
The one ray of light? This is still well short of the previous longest wet spell in Cardinham of 72 days recorded in 2000.
Elsewhere in the UK, the persistent rain over recent weeks has resulted in ongoing flooding with no significant let up expected until the middle of next month at the earliest.
Few have escaped the near relentless rain
Number of rainy days for parts of southern England
Exeter, Liscombe, Camborne and Okehampton all in the south-west experienced between 49 and 52 days of continuous rain.
Katesbridge, in Northern Ireland has clocked up 45 days of wet weather, already seeing over two and a half times its February average rainfall.
At Ryhill, West Yorkshire it had rained consecutively for 36 days.
Northern Ireland experienced its wettest January in 149 years, and at Aboyne in Aberdeenshire over half the average rainfall for the entire year has already been recorded.
What is it like to live with rain every day?
For some residents of Cardinham, the relentless rain took its toll.
Will Palmer, who normally enjoys outdoor activities like walking his dog and cycling, told the BBC that the weather was "miserable".
Laura, mum to Harriet and Rupert, complained that her house "has never been more full of sopping wet clothes".
She said: "It's tough when you have a dog and two young children...but you've got to get out there and do it."
While mum Laura has had to deal with sopping wet clothes, Harriet and Rupert have been finding the rain "fun"
Why has it been so wet?
The main reason for the relentlessness of the rain is linked to a "stuck" weather pattern that developed across Europe shortly after the New Year.
A large area of high pressure became established across northern and eastern parts of the continent, with cold air become strongly established underneath it.
At the same time surges of Arctic air in the USA and Canada helped to fire up a strong Atlantic jet stream that directed rain-bearing areas of low pressure towards western Europe.
The area of high pressure stopped the progress of the lows, meaning the same areas - namely the UK, Spain and Portugal - have been hit again and again by spells of wet weather.
However, this blocked system has meant that some areas of the UK have escaped the worst of the rain. Parts of north-west England and western Scotland have been experiencing 'below-average' rainfall, with some of the Highlands having experienced a stretch of nearly three weeks without seeing any rain.
This soggy start to the year reflects long-term trends that show winters in the UK are getting warmer and wetter due to climate change.
A warmer atmosphere is able to hold more moisture meaning that when rain comes it is likely to be heavier and more intense.
- Published2 days ago
- Published11 February
