I wish I could say there was some positive news on the horizon but apart from a brief spell of colder weather, ( 2-3 days at most ) later this week it's a case of rinse and repeat with the Atlantic fronts and low pressure sytems back in control by the start of next week.

The latest computer models are in almost complete agreement that unsettled weather is set to continue into February, bringing further spells of heavy rain and gales at times. This winter has been more akin to a never ending autumn in many respects.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... tence.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/artic ... water.html

Moley.

February never was anything to write home about. Roll on late March and April

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Lets be careful out there !

is this rain ever going to end ?,if not,ill be building a boat pretty soon

Can you still get gopher wood?

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When a crash seems inevitable, try to hit the softest, cheapest object in the vicinity as slowly and gently as possible.

It's only taken them 5 weeks, better late than never though I suppose ?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... tence.html

Moley.

It's a disgrace that the Govt has acted so slowly and have only done so since the equally pathetic Somerset County Council requested help.

I wonder if this help would have been made quicker if it was Chipping Norton that was flooded and Dave's chums were cut off from their Fortnum & Mason deliveries?

I'm not entirely sure I would lay as much blame at the feet of Somerset County Council to be honest SOT. Their hands have been pretty much tied by National Government spending cuts to local councils and the Environment Agency.

The rainfall totals for much of Southern England are well above the January average and that's without the additional rain forecast later today ( Friday, January 31st ). Coulsdon in Surrey broke through the 200mm ( a fraction under 8 inches ) barrier yesterday. The January average for that general location is 54mm ( just over 2 inches ).

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releas ... uary-Stats

The Met Office have issued further weather warnings for some parts of our region from Friday into Sunday:

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/ ... nings.html

Sorry to say it's more of the same for the foreseeable future. More rain, more gales and an increased risk of inland and coastal flooding this weekend as the conditions coincide with the 2nd highest tides of the year.**

Moley.

** Edit: Not on the scale the daily esxcess are once again 'predicting' though.

Looks like we are just on the outskirts again but the SW gets it

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Lets be careful out there !

I have just walked home from my local station and it doesn't feel we are on the outskirts - I was soaked as it's a bit too gusty for my £3 bargain brolly!!!

I agree that Govt cuts to the EA haven't helped with the speed and weight of the response, but it is Somerset County Councils responsibility to request military assistance and not the MOD or Govt's responsibility to offer it.

There is a well defined procedure called MACC - Military Aid to the Civil Community. The LA request help from the MOD and a Minister has the final say. It will be interesting to find out whether Owen Patterson or one of his pals, dithered when asked, or whether Somerset delayed asking.

There are three guiding principles for assessing whether military aid is to be granted. I think (from TV and press input) that MACC was justified here many weeks ago

1) Military aid should only be provided where the need for someone to act is clear and where other options have been discounted by the civil responder. The use of mutual aid, other agencies and the private sector must be otherwise considered as insufficient or be unsuitable.
2) The Civil Authorities making the request lack the required level of capability to fulfill the task and it is unreasonable to expect them to develop one.
3) The Civil Authority has the capability, but the need to act is urgent and it lacks readily available resources.

Does it really need 5 weeks to make that assessment?

Further details of how London is organised/prepared to manage flooding (page 76) and details of MACC (page 79), have a look here at the joint emergency services major incident manual

http://www.leslp.gov.uk/docs/major_inci ... 8th_ed.pdf