June tipped to set rainfall record

Transport Correspondent

Saturday 30 June 2012

THE flash floods that have caused chaos across the rail network followed unprecedented levels of rainfall across parts of the UK, with June set to break new records.

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DAMIEN HENDERSON

Rainfall in Scotland was not far above average for the month, but this masked big regional differences, with an exceptionally dry month in north-western areas while southern and eastern parts experienced weather similar to the rest of the UK, according to the Met Office.

However, the flooding on Thursday came after an "exceptionally heavy" downpour, a spokesman said, rather than a gradual accumulation of rain. "Flash flooding occurs either after a period of prolonged heavy rainfall or exceptionally heavy rainfall over a short period of time," he said."There was a lot of heavy rain for only half-an-hour-or so, but the sheer amount of rain falling caused problems because it doesn't clear from the land quickly enough."The series of intense thunderstorms that hit the UK came as a result of hot, humid air from the Azores collided with a weather front moving across the Atlantic from the west, the Met Office said.In a statement, it added: "As it collided with the warm and humid air mass, air rapidly rose to create towering cumulonimbus storm clouds that were laden with water, and ripe for developing hail, thunder and lightning. "This led to several distinct lines of thunderstorms developing along the boundary where the two air masses met."The result was rainfall measured at up to 28mm in one hour at one site in Lincolnshire, with "torrential" downpours in Northern Ireland and Scotland.The sheer volume of water created a number of problems on the rail network, as falling debris from landslides covered tracks and, in other places, wore away the ballast that supports the tracks.

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June tipped to set rainfall record

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