Weymouth's wettest February on record, and it's not done

This month has seen a deluge of rain, sparking weather warnings and flood alerts both in the town and across the county and causing major disruption as rivers burst their banks and roads flood.

Weymouth weatherman Roger Willis has revealed that a record-breaking 186mm of rain has already fallen this month.

This smashes the previous record set in 1990 of 153.5mms.

In 2020 the record was almost broken when Weymouth experienced 145.3mms of rain, but Roger says a rise in the global temperature may have contributed.

Double rainbow over Weymouth Beach (Image: St Johns Guest House)

READ MORE: Weymouth could be set for one of its wettest winters

Roger said: "It is extraordinary. If you have 1.5 degrees of temperature worldwide that means 7% more water vapour in the air and that is why we have got so much rain.

"We are way over the record for February, and we will probably get some more before the end of the month."

Roger said he will provide a full analysis of February 2024 in Weymouth once the month ends. 

Dreary looking Weymouth (Image: Logan Underhill)

Unsurprisingly this month has seen weather warnings and flood alerts aplenty.

Following a flood warning last week, parts of Radipole Village flooded as groundwater levels became very high.

Flooding in Radipole (Image: NQ)

Even more flooding in Radipole (Image: NQ)

On Thursday, February 7 a flood alert was issued around the River Wey, Preston Brook and the Riven Jordan after tremendous overnight rain.

There was even a tornado warning issued amid heavy wind in Dorset on Thursday, February 22.

Mill Street in Broadwey (Image: Claire Fowler)

One of the most disruptive hotspots for flooding has been on the A35 near Winterbourne Abbas and at the Maiden Newton turn-off, which was partially blocked on Monday, February 26 due to heavy rain.

Further rain is expected later this week, though lighter than it has been for much of this month.

The Met Office reports that Wednesday to Friday will be 'often unsettled with rain and showers, heavy and blustery at times. Some brighter interludes later in the week and a brief milder spell on Thursday, otherwise temperatures around average.'

West Dorset was also hit badly by flooding. In one incident on Wednesday, February 21 in Whitchurch Canonicorum a person had become trapped by flooding and sat on their car until emergency services could arrive to rescue them.

This comes as a key risk assessment for the flood risk of the Weymouth town centre is expected to be published at the end of February, five months late.