Storms threaten return of floods to England and Wales

Environment Agency warns of flooding risk as scientists reveal January-May period was wettest in over a century

Torrential downpours from severe thunderstorms are threatening to bring flooding back to England and Wales on Saturday, according to a warning issued by the Environment Agency on Thursday. Both river flooding and flash flooding are feared, with only Devon, Cornwall and Pembrokeshire exempt from the risk.

The warning, along with an extreme weather warning from the Met Office, comes as Reading University scientists revealed that January to May was the wettest start to a year in over a century of their records. The winter of 2013-14 was the wettest for at least 250 years.