Impact of storms sees wettest week in England for two years

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Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in England has experienced its wettest week for two years, thanks to heavy rain from two named storms, Austen and Boelo. An average of 55mm of rain fell across England in the seven days to October 27, with as much as 76mm in the North West and 87mm in the South West .

River levels have increased in many areas, with the Dart at Austins Bridge near Buckfastleigh in Devon classed as “exceptionally high”. Much of the country remains officially in drought, however, with a severe drought in place across parts of the South West and Sussex. open image in gallery A downed tree in Gladstone Park, north-west London, following strong winds brought by Storm Austen (Martin Evans/PA) ( PA Wire ) The impact of Austen and Boelo led to England seeing its wettest week since October 2024, the Environment Agency said on Thursday.

Austen triggered an amber warning from the Met Office for strong winds and rain across Cornwall and parts of Devon on Friday October 23, along with a yellow warning for much of central and southern England. Gusts reached nearly 80mph on the Isle of Wight, flights were cancelled and thousands of homes were left without power. Boelo arrived the following day, Saturday October 24, this time prompting an amber warning for wind over Scotland, with a yellow warning covering northern England.

There was further travel disruption and many more homes lost power, with some still cut off on Wednesday. The downpours mean England has now received 11% more rainfall than the long-term average for October, according to the Environment Agency. River levels have increased at all but two of the sites the agency monitors.

Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture

The article lists the storms' effects as gusts, cancelled flights and power cuts but never says the storms killed two people. A reader comes away thinking Austen and Boelo caused disruption but no deaths.

How we know

LBC reported“two storms batter Britain killing two”Storms Austen and Boelo cause England's wettest week in two years (opens in a new tab)

Read the original article on independent.co.uk

What we found (2)

The Independent reports England's wettest week in two years after Storms Austen and Boelo, along with a continuing drought across parts of the South West and Sussex. It gives the rainfall figures, warnings and disruption accurately but never tells the reader that warming makes heavy rainfall and drought more frequent or more severe. It also leaves out that the storms killed two people.

Leaves out the climate link
Serious
“England has experienced its wettest week for two years, thanks to heavy rain from two named storms, Austen and Boelo.”
Why this matters
These words present a record week of heavy rain as the work of two named storms and nothing more. Nowhere in the article is warming mentioned.
The impression it gives
A reader takes the wettest week in two years as ordinary autumn weather with no link to a changing climate.
The context
Human-caused warming has made heavy rainfall more frequent and more intense. The article carries no line saying so, not even a short one.
How we know
- On the recordThat warming has made hot extremes, heavy rainfall, agricultural and ecological drought, fire weather and intense tropical cyclones more frequent or more severe.ipcc.ch (opens in a new tab)
- On the recordIt is unequivocal that human influence, chiefly the burning of fossil fuels, has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land.ipcc.ch (opens in a new tab)
- Checked against the whole articleIt never uses the words “warming”.
Show it in the article
“Much of the country remains officially in drought, however, with a severe drought in place across parts of the South West and Sussex.”
Why this matters
The Independent reports a severe drought alongside the storm rainfall and offers no word on why such extremes are becoming more common.
The impression it gives
A reader sees drought followed by downpours as a run of bad luck in the weather.
The context
Warming has made agricultural and ecological drought as well as heavy rainfall more frequent or more severe. The Daily Mail tied the drought to the summer heat, and the article still gives no climate context.
How we know
- On the recordThat warming has made hot extremes, heavy rainfall, agricultural and ecological drought, fire weather and intense tropical cyclones more frequent or more severe.ipcc.ch (opens in a new tab)
- Daily Mail reported“parts of southern England remain in drought after the hottest British summer in decades”England records its wettest week for two years after storms Austen and Boelo bring heavy rain - yet parts of south remain officially in drought (opens in a new tab)
Show it in the article
Written straight
England has had its wettest week for two years after Storms Austen and Boelo, the Environment Agency said, while parts of the South West and Sussex remain in severe drought. Climate change is making both heavy rainfall and drought more frequent and more severe.
Leaves out what changes the picture
Minor
What is missing
The article lists the storms' effects as gusts, cancelled flights and power cuts but never says the storms killed two people. A reader comes away thinking Austen and Boelo caused disruption but no deaths.
How we know
- LBC reported“two storms batter Britain killing two”Storms Austen and Boelo cause England's wettest week in two years (opens in a new tab)
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Impact of storms sees wettest week in England for two years

Leaves out the climate link

Leaves out what changes the picture

How other outlets reported it

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