When it Rains, it Rains More 

We’re Justified to Complain About the Weather 

Feel like it hasn’t stopped raining? That’s because it hasn’t. The UK has seen its sixth wettest winter since records began in 1836 and Brits are complaining about the dreary, consecutive days of rain. At the time of writing this article, rain has been falling somewhere in the UK every day since the start of 2026. The Cornish village of Cardinham experienced a relentless 50 days of rain, according to the Met Office.  

Southward surges of Arctic air have clashed with the (relatively) ‘warmer’ air in the USA and Canada, directing a strong jet stream towards Western Europe. Jet streams are narrow bands of rapid, high-altitude winds. As they speed up or spread apart, they act as a vacuum that ‘sucks’ air into their stream and creates areas of low pressure in the upper atmosphere. These low-pressure systems draw air up from the lower atmosphere; any moisture in the air also rises, cools and condenses into clouds, leading to rain. Moist air drawn from across the Atlantic Ocean has struck the UK, Spain and Portugal with a deluge of wet weather.  

Not only has the jet stream been more powerful, but it has also shifted to the south. This effect, alongside a high-pressure block over Scandinavia (again caused by southerly surges of arctic air), has ‘trapped’ low-pressure rain systems over the UK. Unable to pass across the UK, these stalling low-pressure systems have led to frequent and sustained rainfall. 

Map from Met Office 

Particularly, Southwest England, Eastern Scotland and Northern Ireland have been subjected to much higher rainfall, whereas areas such as Western Scotland have received less rain than usual. 

What does this mean for the UK? 

Following the significant drought in 2025, in which England experienced its driest spring since 1893 and its hottest summer on record, these rains may have been needed. Last Autumn, water companies alongside the government were drawing up emergency plans in fear that a dry winter in England could lead to a serious risk of running out of water.   

Groundwater levels and reservoir stocks across the UK have significantly risen, and by mid-January, England was officially declared drought-free for the first time since May 2025. However, the prolonged rain has come with new problems: flooding. 

When soil becomes oversaturated with water, it leads to surface runoff. Instead of running downward into the soil, the water travels horizontally across the surface, quickly filling rivers and drainage systems. With no respite from the rain, the UK has been affected by multiple types of flooding. Fluvial flooding occurs when water from rivers or streams overflow their banks, and pluvial flooding is when drainage systems become overwhelmed.  

Groundwater flooding, which is when underground water stores rise to the surface, presents a primary concern. Compared with fluvial and pluvial flooding, groundwater flooding is much more persistent and can take months to recede. They are hidden underground, making them difficult to predict, and they may occur weeks or even months after heavy rain. 

Climate change means these weather patterns are here to stay  

Climate scientists have long predicted that global warming will lead to longer lasting and more extreme weather events. In the UK, the Met Office says this means wetter winters and drier summers. For every 1°C rise in air temperature, the atmosphere can hold 7% more moisture. As previously discussed, this can create heavier rainfall.  

“When it rains, it rains more,” wryly comments Professor Ed Hawkins, climate scientist at the University of Reading.  

The increase in wet winters will have significant impacts for housing, transport and food supply. The Environment Agency has estimated that by 2050, one in four properties will be at risk from flooding. A third of railways are also at risk of flooding, leading to delays, cancellations and damaged infrastructure. 

In an urgent letter written to MPs last November, the National Farmers Union pointed out that “Farmers and growers experience both [drought and floods] on an annual basis, and both severely impact their ability to produce food.” 

In 2024, the UK farming sector lost £1billion in crop damage as a result of excessively wet weather and flooding. “There isn’t insurance for crop damage. We don’t get compensation.” James Winslade, a farmer from Somerset, told Sky News. The recent rains have submerged more than 90% of his farm, and James predicts he will lose many of his crops to rot. 

Although temperatures are starting to become milder, the Met predicts that – most unfortunately – we may not see prolonged dry weather until the middle of March. 

By Marina Milsum, March 3, 2026.

Edited by Gabby Ziobro.