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Tuesday, August 19, 2008, 13:25
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.
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