Weather experts say summer wettest since 1912

Data released by MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, showed 362mm of rain fell in June, July and August so far, the wettest summer months since 1912.

The washout summer has hit visitor numbers at many tourist attractions with Newby Hall Gardens, near Ripon, yesterday confirming it was extending its season to try to recoup some of the money it has lost.

The gardens, due to close at the end of September, will be open at weekends until early November and the whole of half-term. The hall will, however, be shut from the end of the month.

Cumbria yesterday became the latest part of the country to be hit by flooding, with a train travelling to Sellafield nuclear plant becoming derailed following a landslide.

The two-coach passenger train, which was carrying more than 100 people, struck a landslip near Nethertown, south of Caulderton in west Cumbria, at 6.45am.

The train remained upright and there were no injuries to any passengers or staff.

A recovery train encountered another landslide so passengers had to be transported by road. Cumbria Police, along with officers from the British Transport Police, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and other emergency services all attended.

It is estimated it will take up to 48 hours for the damage to be repaired and for the line to be made safe.

A Network Rail spokesman said: “Following a landslip onto the railway near St Bees, buses are replacing trains between Whitehaven and Sellafield.

“Approximately 100 passengers were removed from a train which ran into the landslip at 6.45am, derailing the front set of wheels.”

Elsewhere in the county, more than 100 homes were affected by flooding overnight and about 20 elderly people had to be relocated to Egremont Market Hall after a power cut.

MeteoGroup forecaster Nick Prebble said the summer is set to be the fourth wettest since records began in 1727. June 2012 was the wettest since 1860, had the least sunshine since 1909 and was the coldest since 1991. He said: “July wasn’t as wet as June but it was still wetter than average.”