IF YOU thought August weather was supposed to be better than

this you’re right – Plymouth has already received  nearly

twice the average rainfall for the whole month.

Weatherman Julian Mayse, of Meteo Group UK, said by 6am

yesterday Plymouth had already recorded 149mm of rain, compared

to an average over 30 years of 79mm.

By today the total was expected to be well over 150mm, or six

inches.

“It looks as though the total for the month could exceed

200mm,” he said. “We’ve got at least another week of unsettled

weather to come.”

But Mr Mayse did not think the total would break any records.

Historically August rainfall varies widely from year to year,

and although some years the month can be almost completely dry,

rainfall of more than 200mm is not uncommon either.

Mr Mayse said: “The air holds a lot of moisture in August and

South West England can be very wet.

“Readers will remember the storm that hit Boscastle on August

16, 2004.”

But city businesses remained undaunted by the weather, with

some even benefiting from the rain – and not just those selling

waterproofs.

Mike Jones, general manager of Drake Circus shopping centre,

said the centre experienced a 25 per cent increase in footfall

last week.

“Without a doubt the poor weather has contributed to it,” he

said. “Just talking to people, I found many were camping and

had nowhere to go. It’s been great for us.”

Louise McShane, secretary of the Plymouth Hospitality

Association, said the city’s hotels and B&Bs had remained

busy.

She said: “We have got a lot to offer in Plymouth in the way of

wet weather activities, and the shopping facilities being so

good, it doesn’t seem to affect us too badly.”

She said hotels and guest houses were mostly full, and had been

very busy during the National Fireworks Championships. Few

rooms remain available for the Bank Holiday weekend.

South West Water reported Burrator reservoir near Plymouth is

at 100 per cent capacity, compared to just 93.6 per cent at

this time last year and 65 per cent in 1995.

A spokesman for the company said there were no fears of

flooding and the Environment Agency currently has no flood

watches in Devon or Cornwall.