After dry January, prepare for the rain of Storm Erik
What is this tip-tapping like witches fingers on my study window?
Why, it feels so long since there’s been a good downpour that I hardly recognise the stuff.
This though is the weekend to become reacquainted with rain now Storm Erik – the first named storm of 2019 – has sent belts of low pressure whipping in wildly from across the Atlantic.
Dry January this year certainly lived up to its name with rainfall well below average all over the country.
In Scotland – northernmost areas of which are forecast to get a good soaking this weekend – some parts received only 15per cent of the average January rainfall over the past month.
According to the Met Office’s figures for the month (released this week) it was the driest January on record for Clackmannanshire with 23.1mm (0.9in) of rain, East Lothian with 9.9mm of rain and Fife with 12.1mm. Meanwhile, the east and north east of England received just 22.9mm of rainfall, its second driest January on record. Only January 1997 was drier when 15mm of rain was recorded.
While we are still in the north east, the sunniest place in Britain last month was Morpeth, which basked in 86 hours of sunshine. Pity poor Cornwall, on the other hand, which registered its dullest January on record (dating back 58 years at least) with just 28 hours.
Anyway, back to the rain, because for many of us that is what we are set to be confronted with this weekend, along with gusts of between 50-70mph.
Numerous trees have been uprooted by the strong winds in recent days. Yesterday, Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs went as far as advising people to stay away from country parks and nature reserves until the storms subsided.
Next week it remains wet and windy in the north although looking better in the south. Wet February is here.