Parts of Britain were on “high alert” for floods again Tuesday after a night of torrential downpours as Met Office figures showed April was the wettest on record.
The Environment Agency (EA) had 33 flood warnings and 139 flood alerts — where flooding is expected or possible respectively — in place after overnight storms brought more than 20mm (0.8in) of rain to some areas, particularly in the south west.
That represents approaching a third of the regular monthly average of 69.6mm.
Officials are keeping a close eye on water levels as flood defences hold back muddy water from over 25,000 homes, the EA said.
Many rivers were already at bursting point and more heavy rain is forecast for Tuesday.
The Met Office said early figures showed that April was the wettest since records began in 1910, even before Monday night’s downpours.
By April 29, rainfall for the month had reached 121.8mm, beating the previous record of 120.3mm set in 2000.
