Garden not flooding as I've been water-canning all summer so infiltration okay.

Yes, looking dark and stormy over the Downs to the north but the coastal strip is still dry and sunny. This shows up nicely on

https://www.theweatheroutlook.com/twodata/uk-rainfall-radar.aspx?layer=r 

EWP driest summers (mm)

1995: 66.9

1976: 74.0

1800: 91.5

1869: 98.9

1818: 102.6

1983: 110.8

2022: 111.0

1887: 112.3

1913: 114.4

1864: 118.1

1826: 121.8

1949: 121.9

2026: 123.1 (up to 28th Aug)

1780: 124.0

Data For Recent Days

24 hour total up to 10 am BST (09:00 UTC) yesterday morning: 5.2 mm

Total since 10 am BST (09:00 UTC) yesterday morning: 6.2 mm (as at 3:40 am BST (02:40 UTC) this morning on Monday 31 August 2026)

Monthly Data

Total for this month so far: 60.4 mm (80.8% of 1991-2020 August average)

Number of rain days during this month: 9 (80.6% of 1991-2020 August average)

Number of dry days during this month: 16

This means that only at least another 14.4 mm of rain now needs to fall between now and the end of this month in order for this month to go down as being wetter than average in terms of the actual rainfall amounts. There might still be some more rain to come this month but given that we are now right at the end of the month, that is a threshold which is unlikely to actually be met.

In addition to that, there are not enough days left of this month to make it possible for this month to go down as being wetter than average in terms of the number of rain days so regardless of what happens between now and the end of this month, this month will go down as being drier than average in terms of the number of official rain days.

Seasonal Data

Total for this summer so far: 158.8 mm (73.7% of 1991-2020 summer average)

Number of rain days during this summer: 31 (92.0% of 1991-2020 summer average)

Number of dry days during this summer: 50

This means that there are not enough days left of this summer to make it possible for this summer to go down as being wetter than average in terms of the number of rain days so regardless of what happens between now and the end of this month, this summer will go down as being drier than average in terms of the number of official rain days.

Annual Data

Total for this year so far: 410.2 mm (52.3% of 1991-2020 annual average)

Number of rain days during this year: 96 (69.9% of 1991-2020 annual average)

Number of dry days during this year: 105

Note

This data has been obtained from https://www.ogimet.com  in raw BUFR format, and then converted into a more readable form by my own python script.

Quiet Atlantic hurricane seasons invariably lead to wet and windy autumn and winters here at the UK, all the time sea surface across north Atlantic remain warm and not mixed up are likely to make ideal breeding ground for cyclogenesis come deep Winter. Winter 2013/14 is a good example. 

Anyway, back to the here 'n' now, another 7.0 mm fell last night courtesy of channel showers. Today turned out decent enough, though where I was able to sit outside for a couple of hours this afternoon. 

Starting bone dry and ending wet with above-average rainfall, quite a contrast.

Monthly Data

Final total for August 2026: 60.4 mm (80.8% of 1991-2020 August average)

Number of rain days during August 2026: 9 (80.6% of 1991-2020 August average)

Number of dry days during this month: 17

August 2026 was our wettest month since March and our third wettest month of this year so far but even with that, it was still yet another drier than average month both in terms of the actual rainfall amounts, and in terms of the number of rain days, thus showing us yet again that we just don't get wetter than average months here any more, especially in terms of the actual rainfall amounts.

Seasonal Data

Final total for summer 2026: 158.8 mm (73.7% of 1991-2020 summer average)

Number of rain days in summer 2026: 31 (92.0% of 1991-2020 summer average)

Number of dry days in summer 2026: 51

In addition to the fact that we just don't get wetter than average months here any more, we also don't get wetter than average seasons any more. On this occasion, the summer of 2026 was substantially drier than average both in terms of the actual rainfall amounts and in terms of the number of rain days. Every summer month was drier than average here though with August being the wettest month of the summer.

Annual Data

Total for this year so far: 410.2 mm (52.3% of 1991-2020 annual average)

Number of rain days during this year: 96 (69.9% of 1991-2020 annual average)

Number of dry days during this year: 107

Note

This data has been obtained from https://www.ogimet.com  in raw BUFR format, and then converted into a more readable form by my own python script.

Total Summer 2026 rainfall here is 155mm (91% average).   Never expected to end up anywhere near that figure, after such a long dry spell that seemed like it would never end.   A six-week spell from July 1st to Aug 14th with zero rainfall.  Then literally half the Summer's rainfall coming in just the last 5 days of August!