©Ewen Cheuk via Unsplash
In the UK, 2026 began with the constant sound of rain. In many areas, it didn't stop for a single day. Soaked soils, flooded rivers, dykes under pressure... The result? A country with umbrellas permanently up and open, eyes fixed on Environment Agency bulletins.
The Environment Agency has issued almost a hundred flood alerts and over 150 warnings in England, as well as active alerts across Scotland and Wales.
More than 300 homes have already been flooded, while around 16,000 properties have been protected by flood defences. Authorities are urging extreme caution: driving on flooded roads can be extremely dangerous. In parts of Worcestershire, Devon and Cornwall, it has rained every day since the beginning of the year.
The 'blocking phenomenon'
At the root of this prolonged period of disturbance is an atmospheric phenomenon known as a 'blocking phenomenon'. An area of high pressure has come to rest over Scandinavia, acting as a barrier and preventing Atlantic weather fronts from moving eastwards. The jet stream, which normally steers cloud systems across Europe, was deflected and weakened. The result is a succession of low-pressure systems stagnating between the UK and Western Europe, bringing persistent rain and strong winds. (...)
Rainiest January on record
The figures bear witness to an exceptional winter. No fewer than 26 weather stations recorded the wettest January on record. Northern Ireland recorded its wettest January in 149 years. In Scotland, places like Aberdeen have already far exceeded the average rainfall for the whole of February.
And yet, despite the scale of the event, the absolute record set in the winter of 2013-2014 is still a long way off. Back then, in southwest England and south Wales, 691mm of rain fell in three months.
A brief respite
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The general feeling is of a winter that is going round and round, with the weather frozen in a single pattern. Until the jet stream regains strength or the high pressure shifts, the UK will have to deal with unstable conditions and the constant threat of flooding.
Source: Flood alerts and warnings - GOV.UK
(©GreenMe.it 2026/Managing editor: Julie Morgan - The Press Junction/Picture: Ewen Cheuk via Unsplash)