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Met Office: Wettest winter in nearly 250 years

England and Wales endured the wettest winter in almost 250 years, according to new analysis from the Met Office.

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  1. National

Record 435mm of rain fell from December to February

A spokesman for the Met Office says it has been the wettest winter on record across England and Wales - where the precipitation records date back to 1766.

Some 435mm (17.1 inches) of rain fell from December 1 to February 24, beating the previous highest total of 423mm (16.6 inches) set in 1915.

Provisional rainfall figures show that the UK as a whole has had its wettest winter since records began in 1910.

Some 517.6mm (20.3 inches) of rain fell this winter, the previous highest total was 485.1mm (19.1 inches), set in 1995.

  1. National

Wettest winter in almost 250 years, says Met Office

England and Wales endured the wettest winter in almost 250 years, according to new analysis from the Met Office.

Figures released last week showed the greatest overall rainfall across the UK since 1910, with 468.8mm of rain recorded.

More: Snow forecast across England and Wales

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  1. Adrian Masters

Cameron insists flood support devolved to Welsh Govt

The Prime Minister has visited a flood-hit part of Wales, but refused to say whether homes and businesses here will be exempt from council tax, as he plans in England.

The Westminster Government has set aside £4m to finance the support in England, but insists that flood support here is devolved to the Welsh Government.

  1. Adrian Masters

David Cameron accused of causing 'serious confusion and upset' by Welsh Minister

The Welsh Government seem to have been disappointed in their hope for extra flood repair money from the UK Government. Even though David Cameron told me Pembrokeshire that there would be nothing extra, others, notably the Welsh Government saw in his very visit a hint there would be some new cash.

Its expectation increased after David Cameron announced money for councils to give council tax rebates to flood-hit households without specifying if that meant English councils. The Welsh Government's now got clarity and it isn't happy.

Natural Resources Minister Alun Davies said:

David Cameron’s visit to Wales has caused serious confusion and upset. Whilst in Wales he announced on social media that ‘we will fund councils that give council tax rebates to people whose homes have been flooded.’ There was no ambiguity to that statement.

Communities he was visiting today would obviously expect the support announced today, in Wales, to be available to them. We now understand that Number 10 has clarified his remarks and there will be no extra support for Welsh councils and businesses. That’s a real disappointment to those people in Wales he’s been visiting today. I have to ask what the purpose of today’s visit was, beyond an attempt to get a few local headlines.

– Alun Davies AM, Minister for Natural Resources and Food
  1. Adrian Masters

Labour claims Cameron snubbed Welsh Tory leader

Welsh Labour has seized on the absence of Andrew RT Davies at the Prime Minister's side during his visit to flood-hit Pembrokeshire as proof of a 'snub' by David Cameron to the Welsh Conservative leader.

Labour party sources are linking it to the public split between Mr Davies, some of his Assembly Members and the Welsh Secretary which led to the sacking of four Shadow Cabinet members. A spokesman said:

The growing divide within the Tories has taken a serious turn for the worse today. That David Cameron has snubbed the Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies - especially given flood defences are devolved - is both hugely embarrassing and telling of the way the supposed leader if the Welsh Tories is viewed by his colleagues in Westminster. RT can take some comfort in the fact that the situation could be worse. He could have found out he'd been snubbed by the Prime Minister on twitter."

– Welsh Labour spokesperson

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Welsh Govt following up Cameron hint of extra flood money

The Welsh Government is seeing the fact that David Cameron visited Pembrokeshire could be a sign that there will after all be extra money for flood repairs in Wales.

Natural Resources Minister Alun Davies said:

I am encouraged to see the Prime Minister visiting Pembrokeshire today to see at first hand how we have successfully managed the impact of flooding in Wales. We have noted with interest his suggestion that there may be further financial support available to help with the clean-up. We assume that as the PM chose to make this announcement in Pembrokeshire, not England, there will be additional funding for Wales and our officials are following this up as a matter of urgency. We would want to make sure extra funding is used to best fit local circumstances.

I’m sure the PM will have been impressed by what sustained investment in flood defence can achieve. A recent report showed that in Wales our investment helped protect 99% of properties at risk of flooding.

– Alun Davies AM, Minister for Natural Resources and Food

Cameron: Flood defences are Welsh Govt responsibility

David Cameron insisted that it is not unfair that money has been pledged to improve flood defences in England and not Wales, because policy in that area is devolved.

He told our Political Editor Adrian Masters he is happy to "work closely" with the Welsh Government "if there's anything more we can do."

He was speaking at a visit to a business in St Davids. He also saw the damage done by flooding in Newgale.

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