Sidmouth escapes flooding

DESPITE it being the fifth wettest summer on record, Sidmouth has been mostly unaffected by the torrential downpours that have flooded some parts of the country. The first five days of September saw 44 mm of rain- 72 per cent of the total rainfall the met

DESPITE it being the fifth wettest summer on record, Sidmouth has been mostly unaffected by the torrential downpours that have flooded some parts of the country.

The first five days of September saw 44 mm of rain- 72 per cent of the total rainfall the met would expect in the month.

However Sidmouth seemed unscathed as there was no flooding and the emergency services say it was a very quiet week considering the poor weather conditions.

There was little traffic chaos in the area with the exception of a tree falling at Pinn near Peak Hill last Friday. The road was blocked for over an hour and a half in the morning until the tree was chopped up and removed by the council.

There has been 358mm of rain over the past three months making it the fifth wettest summer since records began in 1914.

Nevertheless, this year's high rainfall is relatively low compared to 2007, the fourth wettest summer, in which 386.8mm of rain poured down.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: "There has been a lot of rainfall in the area but compared to the worst affected areas such as Wales and the north east of England which have seen severe flooding, Sidmouth hasn't come off too badly.

"In the coming week there will be less rain but the weather will still be unsettled with strong winds and rain falling overnight.