England records its wettest week for two years after storms Austen and Boelo bring heavy rain - yet parts of south remain officially in drought

This week has been the wettest in England for two years after Storms Austen and Boelo battered the country - but parts of the south have remained in a drought. An average of 55mm of rain fell across England in the seven days preceding October 27, though as much as 76mm was recorded in the north-west and 87mm in the south-west. During Storm Boelo, which hit just days after Austen brought torrential rain, extreme weather conditions sparked chaos with trains cancelled, flights delayed and flooding forcing shops into closure. The Environment Agency (EA) has now confirmed that this week has been the wettest since October 24, when extreme conditions brought by Storm Ashley caused widespread travel disruption. River levels have increased at all but two of the sites monitored by the EA, with the Dart at Austins Bridge in Devon classed as 'extremely high'. Yet, despite the rain and wind which predominantly battered the north, parts of southern England remain in drought after the hottest British summer in decades.Only a couple of weeks ago a 'severe drought' was declared in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex - with some of those areas remaining concerningly dry. Water companies were urged to step up drought planning amid concerns about supplies as millions of people remain under a hosepipe ban. Water splashes as a car tries to drive through a lane in Poole, Dorset, last weekend Walkers struggle to stand up as heavy winds battered Liverpool An average of 55m of rain fell across England in the seven days preceding October 27 (Two people are pictured walking in Brighton)Storage levels had plummeted to just 31 per cent overall in Devon and Cornwall, while specific reservoirs have seen their capacities plummet.Drone images from Wimbleball, in Exmoor, showed how an area previously filled with water had been left bare and dry in the aftermath of a scorching British summer which saw temperatures soar beyond 37C. But while those areas stayed dry, others were battered by extreme conditions which saw gusts of wind reach speeds of 85mph. A 60-year-old man was killed when he was hit by a fallen tree in Dumfries before it was confirmed that a man in his 20s had also died after his car was crushed by a falling tree in Mill Hill, north London, on Sunday. It was later revealed that the man killed in Scotland was world-renowned gardener Richard Baines, who was hailed for his 'passion and enthusiasm' for plants by colleagues after his death. 'He had a warmth, a genuine sense of humour, he always made time for individuals and that's one of the tributes that has been said many times this morning,' one said. A woman, named Sal Galloway, also tragically died after being swept out to sea while walking her dog on a promenade between Sandown and Shanklin on the Isle of Wight. A major emergency service operation involving police, paramedics and coastguard rescue teams with a lifeboat and a helicopter was launched, but she could not be saved. Friends and relatives left heartfelt tributes on social media for Ms Galloway, who is understood to have had a passion for scooters and soul music.One said: 'Rest in peace my dear friend Sal Galloway, didn't see you much but you were a lovely lady. Always had time for everyone. Condolences to your family and friends. And bloody hell did you have a lot of them.'Footage from Dalmarnock, Glasgow, captured over the weekend showed a stream of water flooding through the town early this morning, forcing dozens of shops into closure. Meanwhile the town of Largs, in Ayrshire, was left submerged by heavy rain. Huge waves are seen crashing into the coast at Brighton beach on Monday Londoners are seen sheltering under umbrellas as rain battersed the capital this week A giant chestnut tree is seen crashed into a house in Lancaster after being blown over by gale-force windsA store owner in the Scottish town was brought to tears after her property was ruined by the rain, forcing her to throw away her stock.Toni Dawson, who runs Geraldo's ice cream and gift shop, told Sky News: 'Literally within half-an-hour the water is coming up so fast and the main street is flooded.'We're trying to clear out as much of the debris as we can and board up the front of the shop and put some sandbags there.'Statistics released by the Energy Networks Association (ENA) revealed that some 161,400 homes across the country were left without power over the weekend, while more than 800,000 suffered power cuts during both Storm Boelo and Austen. Storm Chloe is the next available name on the 2026-27 storm list and, should the weather intensify enough to trigger an amber or red warning, the Met Office will officially declare that the third storm of the season has hit. The Met Office said the succession of weather systems hitting the UK is being driven by the jet stream, which is 'particularly active'.