THE UK has suffered its wettest winter in records dating back more than a century, the Met Office has announced.
Figures for December 1 to February 19 show that the UK has had 486.8mm (19.2 inches) of rain, making it the wettest winter in records dating back to 1910, beating the previous record set in 1995 of 485.1mm (19.1 inches).
Wales, East Scotland, south-west England and South Wales, and south-east and central-southern England have all seen record amounts of rainfall this winter, and all countries and areas of the UK are on target for a warmer than average winter.
Two severe flood warnings remain in place in the Somerset Levels, which has been one of the worst-hit areas this winter, suffering prolonged flooding in the face of repeated storms and heavy rain.
Across the rest of southern and central England, the risk of flooding is receding as river levels fall, including along the Thames and Severn, the Environment Agency said.
But properties in areas including Windsor and Maidenhead, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Wokingham and West Berkshire could remain flooded for some time.
And with more unsettled weather on the way, the risk of flooding will be slow to disappear, the Environment Agency warned.
Met Office spokeswoman Laura Young said showers and some heavier rain were expected, along with sunny spells, over the next few days, and a band of rain would go across the UK on Sunday, mainly focusing on the West.
She added that rain would fall as snow on areas of high ground.
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