May to July in Britain wettest since 1776

LONDON, July 26, 2007 (AFP) - The three-month period from May to July has already become the wettest in history here, even before the end of the month, Britain's Met Office said Thursday.





Figures released by the weather forecasting agency showed that 387.6 millimetres (15.3 inches) of rain has fallen across England and Wales, the most since records were first kept in 1766.

The total rainfall amount is 208 percent higher than the May-to-June average, the Met Office said.

The Met Office release comes amid Britain's worst flooding in 60 years, with hundreds of thousands left without drinking water, and several thousands without electricity.

Much of the rainfall over the three-month period fell in a 24-hour period between June 24 and 25 when 103.

1 millimetres of rain fell, sparking floods, and a similar downpour on July 20 with 120.8 millimetres of rain, spurring the latest set of floods.