SURREY has just clocked up its wettest January for at least 150 years. And as rain continues to fall relentlessly, new floods alerts have been issued.
At 11am today (Wednesday) weather expert Ian Currie said he had recorded 194mms of rain so far this month at his weather station on Rickman Hill, Coulsdon, above the Chipstead Valley.
This smashes the previous highest January rainfall of 189mms in 1988, he said.
"It's quite extraordinary," he said. "The water tables will continue to rise over the next few days and weeks and we can expect more flooding from the huigh groundwater levels."
Mr Currie, who has kept daily weather records at his station since 1979 said the two months of December and January together had amassed a rainfall of 400mms.
"That's 16 inches of rain. Put another way, the average annual London rainfall is 20 or 21 inches."
Mr Currie said more rain is on the way and Friday will be particularly wet.
So far, the winter has been the wettest since 1914-5 but with a month to go, there is a good chance it will turn out to be wettest winter ever recorded.
"This weather event is on a par with the Great Storm of 1987 and the summer heatwave of 1976 in terms of severity. The Government need to put it in the same category as we have a very serious situation with water tables rising."
Today, the Environment Agency placed the River Mole in Surrey on a yellow flood alert.
Although there is no danger of flooding to properties, people should be aware that the levels in the river are rising after the spells of rain yesterday and overnight and low-lying land in the flood meadows may be at risk of flooding.
The alert covers the Mole and its tributaries from Kinnersley Manor to South Hersham, including Sidlow, Leigh, Betchworth, Brockham, Pixham, Dorking, Mickleham, Leatherhead, Fetcham, Stoke D'Abernon and Cobham
"River levels are rising in response to rainfall overnight and are expected to overtop banks in places this morning. Flooding of low lying land and roads is likely but property flooding is not currently expected," said the agency. "The rivers are currently sensitive to rainfall and the weather forecast is for further bands of rain through Wednesday which may cause further flooding impacts. We are monitoring conditions and are working in the catchments to maintain free flowing channels."
The Caterham bourne has begun to spring up in parts of Whyteleafe and geysers appeared along the A22 Godstone Road
near Wraysbury Tyres and Litho Techniques last night.
