Staffordshire flooded by third-wettest year on record
STAFFORDSHIRE has been drenched by the county's third-wettest year since records began.
Latest Met Office figures show 1,018-millimetres of rain had fallen in Staffordshire by Boxing Day.
-
SPLASHING TIME: Motorists going through flood water on Draycott Road, Totmonslow, near Tean, yesterday. Picture: Malcolm Hart
-
CAUGHT OUT: Rebecca Skinner, right, walks towards her car after getting stuck in a flood on Leigh Lane, near Uttoxeter, in July. Picture submitted by Sentinel reader Rebecca Skinner
That compares with an annual average rainfall of 807.2 millimetres in the county since records began in 1960.
Staffordshire's wettest year was in 1960 when 1,040.9-millimetres of rain fell, followed by 1,034-millimetres of rainfall in 2000.
SCHC38DB DAB+ HiFi system with bluetooth & new iDock
Was £199.97 May offer £179.97
SAVE AN EXTRA £15 with this voucher ONLY £154.90
SAVING £45 total
Terms:
To buy for only £154.90 print this voucher and call in at Hanley to see us, car park behind store.
Panasonic experts at the West Midlands destination Store found in Hanley city centre ST1 1EF
Contact: 01782 342609
Valid until: Thursday, June 06 2013
The mean temperature in 2012 also fell below the average of 9.3 degrees to 9.1 degrees.
Motorist Rebecca Skinner will not be sad to see the back of the floods after getting trapped as she tried to drive home in July.
The 26-year-old, who lives in Leigh, near Uttoxeter, and was trapped in nearby Leigh Lane, said: "I live out in the country so we have had flooding problems repeatedly throughout the year.
"I misjudged the amount of water that was on the road and tried to drive through it but I got stuck and had to be rescued.
"I was petrified but luckily I got out safely, which is more than I can say for my poor car.
"That was taken by the flood and was eventually rescued in a state of disrepair."
Across Britain, the weather has played havoc in 2012.
It has seen:
Just 182 dry days out of 334 to the end of November;
The wettest day was in Honister Pass, in the Lake District, when 208.4-millimetres of rain fell in just 24 hours;
The third warmest March on record for the UK and the wettest April for more than a century;
The hottest day of the year was on August 18 when the temperature soared to 32.4 degrees;
Lincolnshire experienced the coldest day on February 11 at a freezing minus 15.6 degrees.
Highways officers in Staffordshire have been called to 3,000 drainage problems since April – more than double for the same period last year. The county council has also invested a further £300,000 in cleaning and surveying gullies.
Last month, council workers had to build an emergency 'dam' to stop around one million gallons of water from overwhelming the A34 at Meaford, near Stone.
County Councillor Mike Maryon, cabinet member for highways, said: "Whether it has been working through the day and night to face engineering challenges such as the flooding on the A34, or jetting out a blocked gulley, our highways teams are out there getting the job done whatever the weather.
"As we head into 2013, it looks like there is even wetter weather on the way, which will undoubtedly be followed by snow and ice over the coming weeks.
"While we can't control the weather and inevitably there will always be some level of inconvenience with severe weather, we will continue to do everything in our power to help ensure our highways are open for motorists."
Comments