The Met Office has published a research article on the recent bad weather. I have not had a chance to read it yet. It is a fairly lengthy document.

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/news/2014/uk-storms-and-floods

I have a book which I am reading about Edwardian Britain (circa 1901-1910) and it's a collection of newspaper cuttings from that period.

There were plenty of particularly (exceptionally) wet periods, balanced out by long droughts and spells of exceptional heat.

Indeed, one of the newspaper cuttings talked of an Easter Day blizzard in April 1908, followed by a sodden winter (more rain than had fallen in 100 years), followed by a long drought, followed by exceptional heatwaves (temperatures in the shade of 98f).

The following winter, 20 degrees of frost in the ground by November, followed by torrential rain and floods.

This was in the early 1900s, and not exclusively limited to one year. This was prior to the mass introduction of the motor car, and there was no talk of climate change, just that Mother Nature will have her way to balance out the conditions of our temperate climate.

I'm sorry, but these wild swings in weather have been going on for generations, in fact, since the end of the last ice age (which some say is still receding), these wild swings occur, particularly on an island such as ours with a vast swathe of warm water to our west.

This is nothing unusual in our country, and at risk of getting on the AGW bandwagon, what we are seeing plain and simple is constant brainwashing from the authorities and the media that this is in some way unusual and all man made.

Absolute hogwash. I don't doubt for one minute that at some stage in the next 6 months we will have a long dry spell.

Twas ever thus!

I'm struggling with how they are suddenly claiming increased winter stormines is linked when just a couple of years they were blaming climate change for lack of winter rain and falling levels in acquifers.
Also the last two severe winters were probably caused by global warming and were likely to be what we should now expect.

These are just fashionable exagerration of a run of 'bad weather' IMO.
And if the storms had been affecting Scotland and the North of England, like they usually do we would hardly have heard anything about it.

I would do if I could, but sadly, my garden is currently a lake and the cacti don't like it.

Think I will settle for my water lillies!

We'll wait for another 10 years and see how it pans out then...

I will say this, "the seasons have changed"

Nothing scientific and I'm not on about GW but something ain't right and I'm not talking about this winter either although you can add this one to the list

(Don't ask for a list... )

Well it's about as far-fetched as AGW so might as well mention it.

Frequent heavy showers overnight and very windy, 6mms.

Bit of a blowy night last night, gusts to 25mph in the garden but much stronger away from this sheltered spot, not so much rain with only 8.6mm today so far, temp currently at 4.7C but drops a degree in the showers which have sometimes given small hail, all in all reasonably pleasant between the showers.

agreed entirely

Well it's reassuring to know that some of you experts can guarantee we're not going underwater or that we will bake to death

Two fingers  to global warming or climate change eh!

The current increase in severe and dramatic weather variation is due to global warming. 

I thought it was a factor but not the whole story

Sorry, I should have put my post on the TWO Community Climate Forum, it was just a quick comment in passing

Absolute hogwash!!

Awoken by violent squall.  More to come later by the looks of the radar. back  off to bed...

Originally Posted by: Whether Idle 

I'm back in Bridge this morning, not looking forwrd to these cold squally showers we're getting right now ( 6.45am)

Originally Posted by: Jive Buddy 

I think you may have a quieter day squall wise today, I hope so.  Im off out with the kids later and hope for no showers and less gales.  Fingers crossed.

Originally Posted by: Whether Idle 

Yup, was a lot quieter rainfall wise - quite a bit colder in the wind though, enough to make fingers freeze and hinder my ability to write properly

Situation basically unchanged at Bridge and the surrounding villages - so much water, nowhere for it to go. It's so much at breaking point now, that every passing shower simply adds to the levels and spills over. All eyes on the Mon/Tue rainfall now. I'm back again tomorrow morning, and will be at the incident briefing first thing, so hope to get more info from the EA etc. Some of the residents I spoke to today, won't even use the toilet until they see the pump-out vehicle outside, such is the level the sewers/draininge are at. The spirit there amongst the community though, is absolutely fantastic! 

14 Severe warnings issued for the Thames. Even here in Purley, the underground River Bourne has risen to record levels and causing chaos with road closures and some homes flooded along the Godstone Road.

Could be a very serious situation developing. Thankfully it was dry today, but the outlook does look rather grim

The current increase in severe and dramatic weather variation is due to global warming. 

Originally Posted by: Essan 

I thought it was a factor but not the whole story

Originally Posted by: speckledjim 

Aye, it's a likely factor.  

Failing to dredge rivers and building on adjacent flood plains and water meadows and assumig that we will never get anything other than average weather,  may also be factor.

And failure to note Sod's Law is a bigger factor.   Remember when we were all complaining the more money wasn't spent on snow ploughs etc ........     Forgetting the late 1990s like they never happened.

Oh well, roll in 2015 and massive public demand for more money to be spent on alleviating droughts and "why are we wasting money on dredging rivers when we need more rock salt?"

Ultimately we are a) stupid and b) obsessed with money.  So expect more problems for as long as you live.

Originally Posted by: Whether Idle 

Somebody must do the maths on all this.

For a start there are at least 65 sq km flooded in Somerset (I think that's an figure that's been around for weeks but I can't find another). it's reasonable I think to say it averages 1m deep (probably more?). So, at least 65 million cubic m of water to shift? Then I need to find river capacities, normal available river capacity, how much extra capacity dredging would provided etc etc etc.

I remain to be convinced dredging solves the problem. But, if anyone has done the sums.......

Edit: wrt the rest of your post earlier today I heard a irreverent radio host describe what is happening as 'spells of heavy blame'. We do, it seems, like something to blame and if that doesn't suffice someone.

Yes, I think the attack on Chris Smith by Pickles was about as undignified as it gets.

I heard the river capacity was 40% down on when it was dredged every few years.
There would have been flooding but it would be considerably less.
So that farm which was just about coping on Countryfile last week would probably not have needed a panic evacuation this week.

How anyone can realistically say they don't think dredging would make much difference is beyond me.
If you have a two gallon bucket, then put a shovel of sand in the bottom, does it still hold two gallons of water?
It really is that simple.

The policy has been to raise water levels through summer to benefit wildlife.
The way they have done that is by deliberately stopping routine maintenance of the ditches.
They could have used the sluices to do that if they had any sense, then the capacity would still be there when needed.