Jonathan Stott

This month is already the wettest of the last two years and the first since before September 2004 to rack up more than 100mm. The total this month currently stands at 100.8mm (to 7pm on 24th August).

The last two days have been exceptionally wet with 23.4mm recorded yesterday (10am 23rd to 10am 24th). This is the wettest day since the 13th October 2004. 21.6mm was also recorded on the 12th August 2006. The total rainfall since 3pm yesterday is now 35.1mm.

This contrasts dramatically with July when only 19.8mm was recorded for the whole month. The maximum temperature in July was a heady 33.6C compared with only 27.4C in August. The forecasts for the next few days until the end of the month is not too great either.

It certainly feels like the drought that was hyped all over the media is over. Indeed the Environment Agency say that reservoir and ground water levels for Kent and Sussex are normal or above normal for the time of year (but are below normal or significantly below normal around the London and Home Counties areas). The grass has recovered its greenness after being brown and parched at the start of the month and plants have gone beserk in a growing frenzy.

Hopefully September will bring some warm and dry weather and a chance to use up the charcoal that I bought at the start of the month!