Why is it raining so much – and when will it stop?
As Storm Bert seamlessly gives way to Storm Conall, bringing flood alerts and danger to life warnings wherever it goes, it feels like there’s no end in sight to Britain’s run of wet weather.
There were more than 300 flood warnings and flood alerts in place across England and Wales on Monday, and around 100 still remain in place after downpours caused by Storm Bert.
Five people are dead as widespread property destruction and severe delays to air, rail, and motorway traffic persist throughout the country.
The environment agency estimates around 100 properties have been flooded- and there are likely more on the way.
As Brits we’re no strangers to a bout of bad weather, but following an unseasonably wet summer and what looks to be a similar downtrodden winter, the question on everybody’s minds is a simple one.
Why is it raining so much this year?
Metro found out what could be behind one of the UK’s wettest years in recent memory.
Last winter was the eighth wettest in 150 years – and this winter is looking like it will be similar.
The simple answer as to why we’ve had such wet weather is because warmer temperatures are able to hold more water.
The Week reported: ‘For every degree of warming, the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere increases by around 7%, which fuels “more intense rainfall”.’
The downpours commuters had to navigate earlier today could be in relation to the jet stream, a band of strong westerly winds circling around five to seven miles above the Earth’s surface.
The one which affects us most is the polar jet stream, and it helps to give the UK its generally temperate climate, containing the cold air above the Arctic.
It slams into the UK in the winter, leading to rainier weather. If global warming continues as is, it’s likely the jet stream could lead to even wetter winters – but drier summers.
The Met Office forecast for early December appears to show ‘unsettled’ weather, meaning wind in the north and dry, cool conditions.
There are chances of some windy storms and rain but, in typical British fashion, it will be chilly.
The Met Office said mid to late December will be ‘less settled’.
‘These will bring some wetter and windier spells with a risk of some snow, especially for hills in the north,’ they said.
‘These conditions may prevail into late December, although drier, more settled spells may also affect the UK at times, these probably more likely towards the south. Temperatures generally close to average through the period.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.