The UK had almost no snow and very warm winter temperatures from 1902 through 1906, and again from 1970 to 1976 – culminating in a very severe drought.
British Winter Snowfall Events 1875-2012 (Bonacina/O’Hara)
In April, the government warned that the UK faced a record drought.
Half of Britain is now in drought as the country faces its most severe water shortage since 1976, the Environment Agency warns today. More than 35?million people are now living in drought-affected areas, with water shortages today declared across the Midlands and South West. Parts of the country are already drier than they were in the summer of 1976, when Britain experienced its worst drought for more than 100 years. The drought of 1976 led to standpipes being installed in residential streets, water supplies to businesses being rationed and schools having to close early.
As soon as the experts made that prediction, it started pouring and turned into the wettest year on record.
Downpours and gales batter Britain as 2012 is declared wettest year ever – Telegraph
In this instance, the “wettest year ever”, means the wettest year in England since 1910.
While the dataset on which this is based did begin in 1910, there are MUCH longer-term figures for England & Wales combined, in which case the HadUKP precipitation series, goes back to 1766.
While rainfall this year may be higher than 2000, making it the wettest year in England since 1910, according to the shorter series, according to HadUKP, the year 2000 is only the 3rd wettest in England & Wales, with a figure of 1232.4mm, after the years 1768, with 1247.3mm and 1872, with 1284.9mm.
It remains to be seen whether 2012 is the wettest year in the UK according to the 1910 dataset, or since 1768 or 1872, according to HadUKP.