By Claire McCormack and Grant Hill

The Dundee area saw more rainfall in a five-minute flash flood yesterday than during the whole of August last year—with forecasters warning the downpours are set to continue.

One local weather watcher recorded 13.4mm of rain between 5.25 and 5.30 pm. The latest storm follows on from last week’s seemingly never-ending downpour, which has already resulted in record-breaking statistics.

The rainfall figure for the area soared to around 330% over the average long-term figure for the month of August.

The 30-year average for August is 52.3mm, but the Scottish Crop Research Institute in Invergowrie has recorded 172.4mm this month already.

The three-day period with the heaviest rain, August 10-12, was recorded as being 250% over the average rainfall figure. The rainfall on these days was 38.5mm, 58.4mm and 33.5mm respectively.

Deputy team leader of meteorological services Jim Wilde said, “I have looked back over our records dating back to the mid-1950s, and cannot find a higher total for any week.

“The 130.4mm total for these three days is almost as much as was recorded in the last three months combined.”

The entire rainfall last August was 8.3mm, which was about a twentieth of the figure for this year.

Further evidence of the freak nature of this month’s weather has come from instances of thunder and lightning.

SCRI says it normally observes one or two incidents in July and August. However, up until yesterday—when thunder and lightning returned with a vengeance—there had been four occurrences this month.

A spokesman for the Met Office warned more torrential rain is expected over the next few days, compounding one of the most miserable and wettest summers on record.

“Unfortunately we are forecasting more heavy rain through to the end of this week,” he said.

“We will see really quite heavy rain moving through England and into Scotland and affecting the whole country.”