The public is being asked to prepare for the risk of flooding with above-average rain and wind likely this autumn.
The Met Office is picking up higher chances of a strong jet stream and westerly winds in the long-range forecast, raising the risk of a wet, windy, and potentially stormy season.
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Although the heavy rain and wind aren’t guaranteed, if they do hit, western and northern parts of the UK are expected to bear the brunt.
Meanwhile eastern and southern areas may experience drier conditions than the national average.
And the unsettled weather is unlikely to eliminate the current drought afflicting five areas of England any time soon, said Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office.
“The current forecast for unsettled weather is unlikely to be enough to reverse the effects of drought over the next few weeks and during the autumn, especially so in England. We’re going to need more rain than that.”
He said it’s too early to tell whether that will change later in autumn and into winter.
But it means some areas could feasibly experience both drought and flooding at the same time, something symptomatic of a changing climate.
It comes as the sunny season came to an abrupt end last week, with the UK’s hottest summer on record giving way to heavy rain in some areas.
Last September brought heavy downpours and major disruption to the Midlands, before Storm Bert forced a major incident in Wales in November.
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